The Anatomy of a Cigarette

When you dissect a smoke, here’s what you find

Free Lung Cancer Screening

If you’re a smoker, former smoker or have been exposed to secondhand smoke or asbestos, you may be at risk for lung cancer. “If it’s detected early, your chances of survival are very high,” says hematologist/oncologist Eliot Friedman, M.D.

If you’re at risk, take advantage of a free lung cancer screening. The $350 cost is fully reimbursed under your Culture of Wellness benefit. Lehigh Valley Diagnostic Imaging’s chest CT scan minimizes radiation exposure and takes only 20 seconds to complete. Results and recommendations will be shared with your doctor.

To schedule your screening, call 610-402-CARE.

If someone asked you to consume butane, cyanide and arsenic, and take a deep breath of carbon monoxide, you’d think they were kidding. But when you smoke a cigarette, that’s exactly what you’re doing! “A cigarette contains more than 4,000 ingredients other than tobacco,” says Suzanne Smith, Tobacco Treatment Program manager. “At least 43 of them cause cancer.”

Some of these ingredients are found naturally in tobacco, while others are a byproduct when it’s burned. Still others are added to make the cigarette taste better or more addictive. Here are some other things you’re ingesting if you put a cigarette to your lips, and a good reason to quit.

Formaldehyde—This water-soluble gas is used to preserve dead specimens. When large doses are inhaled, it may damage DNA and cause nose, throat or lung cancer.

Ammonia—You use it to clean. When added to tobacco, it makes your body absorb more nicotine, making cigarettes more addictive.

Perforated filters—Filters on “light cigarettes” allow smoke to be diluted with air. Smokers may unknowingly block these holes while holding the cigarette. If not, they may take more frequent drags to satisfy their nicotine addiction.

Benzene—This cancer-causer is found in pesticides, gasoline and cigarette smoke. When inhaled, it travels to various organs in the body. It also causes irreversible lung damage.

Titanium oxide—It keeps the cigarette burning, leading to many smoking-related home fires.

Menthol—It’s added to some brands to make cigarettes taste mellow and cool. This causes some people to take more drags and inhale more deeply, resulting in more nicotine and tar entering the body.

Carbon monoxide—This poisonous gas prevents blood from bringing oxygen to cells, tissues and organs.

Cadmium—Used in batteries

Two cups of tar—Tar is a collection of all the toxic chemicals in cigarettes. This is how much accumulates in your lungs if you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day for one year.

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