Tobacco Chemicals
Tobacco contains over 4,000 chemicals. Here are just a few:
- Ammonia – used in household cleaners and dry cleaning fluid
- Cadmium – found in phosphate fertilizers and batteries
- Hydrazine – used in jet and rocket fuel
- Formaldehyde – embalming fluid, must have a license to obtain
- Acetic Acid – found in hair dye and photo developer; gloves must be worn when handling both of these substances
- Naphthalene – ingredient in explosives, mothballs, and paint pigments
- Arsenic – used in rat poison; most rats love the taste
- Carbon Monoxide – a colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas that comes out of car exhausts
- Polonium – radiation equal to 300 chest x-rays in one year
- Nicotine – addictive drug that affects your mood and performance
- Toluene – used in polyurethane
- Benzene – found in all gasoline grades; caution recommended when exposed to this chemical
- Acetone – used as a solvent, found in paint, fingernail polish remover
- Hydrogen Cyanide – found in all gas chambers
- Butane – used in cigarette lighters
Ideas to Help You Quit
If you smoke for stimulation, try:
- getting enough rest
- exercising regularly (moving is a drug-free stimulant)
- eating regular, nutritious meals
- drinking lots of cold water
If you smoke for pleasure, remember:
- how good foods taste now
- you feel and look fresh in social situations without smoking
- how much easier it is to walk, run, and climb stairs without smoke in your lungs
- how good it feels to be in control of the urge to smoke
- that you can spend the money you save on something else you enjoy
- all the myriad health benefits of quitting
If your obstacle is handling the cigarettes, try to:
- picking up a pen or pencil
- playing with a coin, twisting a ring, or handling any harmless object
- eating regular meals
- finding a hobby that keeps your hands busy
- having a low-fat, low-sugar snack like carrot sticks, apple slices, or a breadstick
Tips for tension reduction:
- use relaxation techniques
- exercise regularly
- remember that smoking does not resolve problems; figure out what will, and act
- avoid or get out of stressful situations
- get enough rest
- enjoy relaxation: take a hot bath, have a massage, lay in the hammock, listen to music
To deal with cravings:
- explore using nicotine replacement therapy
- smoke more than you want for a day or two before you quit; this “overkill” may spoil your taste for cigarettes
- remember that smoking even one cigarette will make you want more
- tell family and friends that you’ve quit; ask for help, let them know what they can do
- think of yourself as a non-smoker; hang up “No Smoking” signs
- remember that physical withdrawal lasts about 2 weeks; you can make it, hang on!
If you are having problems dealing with the habit of smoking:
- change your smoking routines; keep your cigarettes in a different place, smoke with the opposite hand; limit smoking to certain places
- be aware of every cigarette you smoke; ask “do I REALLY want this cigarette?”
