Cigarette Flavor & Health Risks: Tar, Nicotine & Additives

Flavor:

* Tar: A sticky, brown substance that forms when tobacco is burned. It contains thousands of chemicals, many of which are harmful to health.

* Nicotine: A colorless, addictive drug that is also found in tobacco plants. It is what makes cigarettes addictive.

* Menthol: A mint-flavored additive that is often used in cigarettes to make them more palatable.

* Sugar: An addictive substance that is added to some cigarettes to enhance their flavor.

Disease:

* Cancer: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable cancer deaths in the United States. It causes cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, and cervix.

* Heart disease: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.

* Stroke: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of stroke by two to four times.

* COPD: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD, a serious lung disease that can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing.

* Other diseases: Cigarette smoking also increases the risk of other diseases, including eye diseases, gum disease, and erectile dysfunction.