Staying Safe in a Toxic World
Cigarettes are Toxic
Cigarette smoke is extremely toxic. It can cause lung cancer, emphy- sema, and many other health
problems. The smoke in cigarettes contains 4,000 chemicals; 69 of those chemicals cause cancer. Here are some of the harmful chemicals: butane, ammonia, methane, arsenic, and many more. There are three ways that cigarette smoke which happens when you inhale the smoke and all the chemicals from the cigarette go directly into your lungs. The second way that cigarettes are harmful is through second-hand smoke, which is when the people around you inhale the smoke that you exhale.
The last way that cigarette smoke can hurt people is through third-hand smoke. Third-hand smoke is when the toxic chemicals from cigarette smoke get in your clothing, your hair, and the furniture. The more you smoke in a room or in your car, the more you get layers of these toxic chemicals on everything around you, and so you
expose other people to the harmful ef- fects of cigarettes. There is a
solution to stop- ping the spread of these toxins, and it is to STOP smoking.
However, that is easier said than done. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is extremely addictive, so it is hard to quit. Also, cigarette manufacturers spend millions of dollars on advertising, trying to convince people that smoking is cool. I believe the reason cigarettes will continue to sell is because manufacturers are making too much money from their sales. We as a country need to come up with ways to convince the manu- facturers to stop making and selling cigarettes so we can have a healthier environment to live in.
Ashley Knox is working on her GED at Bristol Community College. She lives in Attleboro, MA. Source: <
www.tricountycessation.org>
8 The Change Agent — March 2011
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