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Tobacco

What is it?
Tobacco consists of the dried and cut leaves of the tobacco plant. Tobacco that is being smoked usually consists of several kinds of tobacco, aromatic substances and flavourings. Tobacco can be smoked in different ways: as a cigarette, cigar or in a pipe.

What are the effects of using tobacco?

When smoking tobacco, you not only inhale substances from the tobacco plant but also pesticides, flavourings, aromatic substances and paper. All these substances are burnt together, causing hundreds of chemical reactions. At least forty of these substances are carcinogenic. Tobacco contains three polluting substances: nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. Nicotine is also the addictive substance in tobacco. The body develops habituation and adapts to the nicotine as from your first puff. This causes you to need more nicotine in order to get the same effect.

Three main harmful substances in tobacco

Nicotine

Without nicotine, you start to feel restless, you become irritated, you are no longer able to concentrate, you develop headaches and you are unable to sleep well. Nicotine makes you feel wide awake and happy. Furthermore, nicotine increases heart rate and causes cardiovascular constriction. Due to increasing blood pressure, you can start to feel stressed.

Tar

Tar is a black, sticky substance that settles in the lungs. This causes the lungs to silt up, which can lead to chronic bronchitis or pulmonary cancer.

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide hinders the flow of oxygen through the body, which increases the risk of myocardial infarction.

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Tobacco

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