<!--enpts-->cig.jpg<!--enpte-->A new survey released today by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids finds that most Americans are not aware of the dangerous chemicals in cigarettes and cigarette smoke. The survey found that 71 percent of adults and 79 percent of teens could not name a single chemical found in cigarette smoke, other than tar and nicotine. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including at least 69 that cause cancer and many more that are hazardous.

Chemicals in cigarette smoke include arsenic (used in rat poison, causes cancer in humans), ammonia (used in household cleaners, can irritate the respiratory tract and elevate blood pressure), formaldehyde (used to embalm bodies, causes nasal cancer and can damage the lungs, skin and digestive system), and polonium 210 (a highly radioactive element that causes cancer). To raise awareness about these and other hazardous chemicals in cigarettes, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has launched a new web site — http://www.whatareyousmoking.org

The survey also found powerful evidence that children are still being bombarded by tobacco advertising. Teens are almost twice as likely as adults to recall seeing advertising for cigarettes or spit tobacco in the previous two weeks — 49 percent of teens recalled seeing tobacco advertising, while only 26 percent of adults did.

Click to continue reading “New National Survey Finds Most Americans Don’t Know What’s In a Cigarette”