Cigarettes are small versions of cigars.
They are made of finely shredded tobacco leaves wrapped in a thin tube of paper.
Although tobacco is the main ingredient, there are also a number of additives that producers add to increase shelf life and enhance taste.
At an average, cigarettes contain about 599 additives.
These additives are approved by the U.
S.
government and were tested for food consumption.
However, they did not test them for burning.
On their own, these additives are pretty much harmless but when they are burned together, they produce about 4,000 different kinds of chemical compounds that can cause cancer and are also poisonous.
These chemical compounds were only disclosed to the public after the government found out that there are this much additives in cigarettes.
Here are some of the chemical compounds either added to cigarettes or produced by smoking:

• Acetone which is used as a solvent in nail polish.
  
• Ammonium which is used in toilet cleaners and is added to cigarettes to increase nicotine's rate of absorption by the body.
  Also used to add flavor to cigarettes.
  
• Arsenic is a chemical that is used in rat poison.
  
• Benzene is colorless hydrocarbon used as a solvent in fuel and manufacture of chemicals.
  It is known to cause cancer particularly leukemia.
  
• Butane is the main substance in lighter fluid.
  
• Cadium is used in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries and is known to cause several diseases of the liver, kidney and brain.
  
• Carbon monoxide comprises most of the smoke.
  It is an odorless and tasteless gas that is very fatal if inhaled in large amounts.
  It is the same gas that cars emit through their exhaust system.
  
• Formaldehyde is added to preserve the tobacco in cigarettes but it is also used to preserve dead bodies.
  It is commonly known as embalming fluid and is a known carcinogen.
  
• Hydrogen cyanide is a very lethal gas and was used during World War II in gas chambers.
  
• Methanol is also used to prevent throat irritation caused by smoke, this can also be found in antifreeze and in most solvents.
  
• Nicotine is probably known to everybody as the thing that makes our teeth brown from smoking.
  But it is also a very powerful poison.
  It is also this substance that makes cigarette addictive.
  
• Turpentine is the substance used for menthol flavoring.
  It is toxic oil used as paint thinners and varnish stripper.
  

These are only a few of the 4,000 chemicals found in cigarettes.
And for every stick that is smoked, 17 minutes of your life is lost aside from the high risk of developing cancer.
About 10 percent of the world's population dies prematurely and the number one cause is complications brought about by smoking.
This can be prevented if people would stop smoking.
For those who do not smoke, it is better not to try.
For those who are already addicted to smoking, there are groups that help people to stop smoking.