Are you still smoking despite knowing how much harm you stand to gain from cigarettes? The fact is that it is hard to quit smoking, but the sobering fact is that with every cigarette you light up you are causing more harm to your body. It is important to keep reminding yourself what harm you are subjecting your body with each 
cigarette in order to finally get the realization that you need to quit smoking.
- Nicotine Content in Cigarettes has Risen
Studies done by the Massachusetts Health Department and Harvard University from 1997 to 2005 revealed that the nicotine content in cigarettes has risen. The study looked into several cigarette brands including as Newport, Doral and Camel, and found that the nicotine content in the cigarettes increased by up to 11%.
- Urea Used in Cigarette Production
Yes, urea the component found in urine plays an important role during the cigarette manufacturing process. It is used to ‘flavor’ up cigarettes.
Several active ingredients and special methods of production are involved in making sure the nicotine concentration in a cigarette is many times more potent than that of a tobacco plant.
- Cigarettes have a High Sugar Content
Cigarettes pack up a high amount of sugar content approximately 20%. A number of diabetics are unaware about this and the effect of burning sugar through cigarette smoking is still unknown.
- ‘Lite’ Cigarettes Send The Same Amount of Tar to the Lungs
‘Lite’ cigarettes are often thought to be the ‘safer’ option, but there is nothing like safe cigarettes. Smokers will often draw on menthol and ‘lite’ cigarettes harder compared to regular cigarettes, sending the same levels of nicotine and tar to the lungs.
- Non-Smokers get Lung Cancer From Second Hand Smoke
3,000 American non-smokers are estimated to die from lung cancer each year all due to second hand smoke exposure. 46,000 more American non-smokers die from heart diseases also brought about from second hand smoke exposure.
- Tobacco Use Affects Physical Performance
Tobacco use is known to put a strain on the heart by constricting blood vessels. This in turns affects athletic performance and particularly youth activities. Smokers characteristically run slower, get short winded faster and suffer from shortness of breath.
- Teenagers Get Hooked to Smoking Faster
Teenagers who take up smoking and smoke 2 to 3 cigarettes daily are said to get hooked to smoking in just about 2 weeks.
- Facial Hair Growth, Break Outs and Bone Disease Risk increased in Girls
Teenage girls who smoke are known to have excessive growth of facial hair. Break outs and stubborn zits are also reported more in teens who smoke. Studies have also shown that teenage girls who smoke risk have a greater risk of developing osteoporosis, which is characterized by bone density loss, earlier than they should.
- The Placebo Effect
Different smokers derive different effects from smoking. Some say it makes them calm, concentrate better, be more alert or feel relaxed. The reality is that all these are simply placebo effects of smoking cigarettes. The perceived gain from smoking is actually what keeps smokers lighting up cigarette after cigarette.
Have you come across any interesting or shocking facts about nicotine and cigarettes? Share with us in the comments section about what you have heard or read.
