2.  Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is highly
toxic in nature.
 While cars emit carbon monoxide, so do cigarettes and
other smoke-able tobacco products as the tobacco itself is
burned.
 The gas is formed when plant materials burn. It can
combine with haemoglobin in blood, reducing the blood’s
capacity to carry oxygen.
 Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke is thought to be
associated with the increased risk of heart disease from
smoking.

3.  The most harmful of the gases in cigarette smoke is carbon
monoxide which is the same gas as that in car exhaust.
 Carbon monoxide (CO) replaces oxygen in the
blood, making it difficult for the body's cells to get all the
oxygen they need.
 CO also promotes cholesterol deposits in the
arteries, contributing to cardiovascular disease.
 Elevated CO blood levels impair vision and
judgment, making smoking potentially dangerous to drivers.

4.  Over time, as more and more carbon monoxide binds to
hemoglobin, a smoker's arteries harden, which can
cause the following health complications:
 blood clots
 gangrene, which can lead to the need for amputation
 heart attack
 heart disease
 pulmonary embolism, a condition in which a blood clot
trapped in the lungs blocks the flow of oxygen to the body
 stroke
 vascular (vein-related) disease.

5.  Tar is a sticky substance found in tobacco leaves when
smocked it coats the lungs and alveoli. This prevents oxygen
from reaching the blood.
 These gummy particles consist of a large number of toxic
chemicals created by burning tobacco.
 Although cigarette filters are intended to trap tar and spare
smokers from excess tar exposure but toxins still make it
through and can leave a brown-yellow film behind
 Tar impacts human health in a number of ways, including
increasing the risk of bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer.

6.  The tar in cigarettes can stain smokers' teeth and turn them
yellow or brown.
 Cigarette tar can stain anything it touches brown, including a
smoker's hands and clothing.
 The tar in tobacco cigarettes is a major cause of lung cancer,
emphysema and bronchitis. The toxins from the tar can
damage lung cells that keep tumors from forming.
 Cigarette tar also damages cilia in the lungs, which protect
the lining of the lungs.

8.  Inflammation of the lining of the airways connecting the
trachea to the lungs, called the bronchial tubes, occurs when
the tissues become irritated.
 It becomes harder than normal to breathe, resulting in a
consistent, hacking cough.
 Chronic bronchitis causes bronchial tubes to be red and
swollen on a continuous basis and produce excessive mucus
over time.
 Decreased immune system reactions may make killing off
bacterial infections difficult.

9.  Emphysema develops when the air sacs at the base of tiny air
passages called bronchioles gradually break down smoking.
 The irritating chemicals in cigarette smoke, including tar, are
the leading cause of emphysema.
 Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest
tightness, chronic coughing, fatigue and decreased physical
activity ability.
 Emphysema eventually prevents oxygen entering the lungs
from reaching the blood stream.

10.  An increased risk of lung cancer correlates to the estimated
total milligrams of tar from cigarette smoke to which a
person is exposed.
 Lung cancer ranks as the leading cause of cancer deaths
for Americans.
 Preventing or stopping the use of tobacco, including
exposure to tar, could nearly eliminate lung cancer.
 If caught in an early stage, the five year relative survival rate
for lung cancer is 31 percent.

12.  Smoking affects the respiratory system because it stops the
small little hairs called Cilia in your throat. They are used to
push dirt and mucus out of your throat.
 The tar also sticks to the lining of your throat and lungs (this
makes fingers yellow).
 It contains a lot of carbon monoxide which sticks to the
hemoglobin in the blood instead of oxygen.
 Mucus which would also be removed through cilia goes in to
blood stream and is deposited in arteries.