Cigarettes

Researchers continue to learn how cigarettes harm health

Cigarettes have been around for centuries, but their many risks have been increasingly well understood in recent decades. Despite declines in the cigarette smoking rate, it remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.¹ Tobacco companies have used false claims and sneaky marketing to make these products seem “healthy,” pushing flavored cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and menthol cigarettes at various populations to get and keep them addicted.

The chemicals in cigarettes can harm your health and take years off your life

70 of the chemicals in cigarettes are known to cause cancer

Chemicals found in cigarette smoke include:²

Nicotine, found in all cigarettes, produces a short-term “buzz” that quickly hooks users.
Lead (a toxic metal)
Carbon monoxide (a colorless, odorless gas that prevents blood from carrying oxygen)
Ammonia (used in cleaning products)
Formaldehyde (a colorless gas used to preserve bodies in mortuaries)
Arsenic (a poisonous chemical often used in rat poison)

Cigarettes are addictive

Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.²

10.7% of Colorado adults smoke. That’s about 625,000 people.³
20.8% of high school students in Colorado have smoked a cigarette, even for just one or two puffs.⁴
8,700 kids under 18 try cigarettes for the first time each year.⁵
Cigarette smoking kills more than 5,100 Coloradans each year.⁵
Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined.¹
If you quit by age 40, your risk of dying from a tobacco-related disease decreases by 90 percent.⁶

Menthol cigarettes contain a substance that provides a cooling sensation and masks the harshness of tobacco smoke, making it easier to inhale deeply.
Research suggests that menthol cigarettes may be more addictive and harder to quit than non-menthol cigarettes, and they are often marketed specifically to younger and minority populations.⁷

True or false: Smoking is a personal choice and doesn’t affect anyone else.

The correct answer is FALSE.

Smoking may be legal for people over 21, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect others. Smoking costs Colorado more than $3 billion every year in lost productivity and medical care. Not to mention the pain we all feel when losing a loved one to tobacco-related illness. Then there’s the impact of secondhand smoke and cigarette litter. We all bear the burden of smoking.

You got it right!

Smoking may be legal for people over 21, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect others. Smoking costs Colorado more than $3 billion every year in lost productivity and medical care. Not to mention the pain we all feel when losing a loved one to tobacco-related illness. Then there’s the impact of secondhand smoke and cigarette litter. We all bear the burden of smoking.

True or False: We’re all going to die eventually, and most smokers die from smoking-related diseases late in life, so there’s no big difference.

The correct answer is FALSE.

Smoking takes about 10 years off normal life expectancy.

You got it right!

Smoking takes about 10 years off normal life expectancy.

True or false: Organic tobacco brands and roll-your-own cigarettes are more natural and safer than smoking factory-made cigarettes.(Required)

The correct answer is FALSE.

Although 64% of people who smoke natural/organic cigarettes believe they are healthier, these products have the same negative effects on human health. Roll-your-own tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive. Fewer public health laws apply to fine-cut tobaccos used for roll-your-own cigarettes, so consumers may be in the dark about what they contain. And some studies have shown that natural cigarette brands contain higher levels of dangerous volatile compounds.

You got it right!

Although 64% of people who smoke natural/organic cigarettes believe they are healthier, these products have the same negative effects on human health. Roll-your-own tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive. Fewer public health laws apply to fine-cut tobaccos used for roll-your-own cigarettes, so consumers may be in the dark about what they contain. And some studies have shown that natural cigarette brands contain higher levels of dangerous volatile compounds.

True or false: Smoking fewer cigarettes will protect me from tobacco-related diseases.

The correct answer is FALSE.

Smoking fewer cigarettes each day, or even just smoking a few times a week, does not eliminate the negative effects on your health. If you want to reduce health risks, quitting cigarettes completely is a great goal.

You got it right!

Smoking fewer cigarettes each day, or even just smoking a few times a week, does not eliminate the negative effects on your health. If you want to reduce health risks, quitting cigarettes completely is a great goal.

True or false: Smoking menthol or herbal cigarettes is healthier than smoking regular cigarettes.

The correct answer is FALSE.

While menthol cigarettes may feel smoother due to the cooling effect of menthol, they can still cause serious health issues like lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory problems. They still contain harmful chemicals and toxins found in regular tobacco cigarettes. Similarly, herbal cigarettes, although marketed as natural alternatives, still produce harmful tar and carbon monoxide when burned, posing health risks similar to tobacco cigarettes.

You got it right!

While menthol cigarettes may feel smoother due to the cooling effect of menthol, they can still cause serious health issues like lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory problems. They still contain harmful chemicals and toxins found in regular tobacco cigarettes. Similarly, herbal cigarettes, although marketed as natural alternatives, still produce harmful tar and carbon monoxide when burned, posing health risks similar to tobacco cigarettes.

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References

1. Smoking & Tobacco Use, Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm

2. Harmful Chemicals in Tobacco Products, American Cancer Society, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/tobacco-and-cancer/carcinogens-found-in-tobacco-products.html

3. 2022 BRFSS Survey Data and Documentation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_2022.html

4. 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Retrieved from https://cdphe.colorado.gov/healthy-kids-colorado-survey-dashboard

5. The Toll of Tobacco on Colorado, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, last updated June 2024. Retrieved from https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/problem/toll-us/colorado

6. Jha P, Ramasundarahettige C, Landsman V, Rostrom B, Thun M, Anderson RN, McAfee T, Peto R. 21st Century Hazards of Smoking and Benefits of Cessation in the United States [PDF–738 KB]. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013;368(4):341–50. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/tobacco_related_mortality/index.htm

Cigarettes

What’s in Them May Surprise You

Researchers continue to learn how cigarettes harm health

What You Need to Know

The chemicals in cigarettes can harm your health and take years off your life

70 of the chemicals in cigarettes are known to cause cancer

Cigarettes are addictive

Menthol Cigarettes are Just as Dangerous – If Not More

Quiz: Debunking Myths About Tobacco

I'm Ready to Quit

References

1. Smoking & Tobacco Use, Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm

2. Harmful Chemicals in Tobacco Products, American Cancer Society, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/tobacco-and-cancer/carcinogens-found-in-tobacco-products.html

3. 2022 BRFSS Survey Data and Documentation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_2022.html

4. 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Retrieved from https://cdphe.colorado.gov/healthy-kids-colorado-survey-dashboard

5. The Toll of Tobacco on Colorado, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, last updated June 2024. Retrieved from https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/problem/toll-us/colorado

7. Menthol Tobacco Products, CDC, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/menthol-tobacco/

Cigarettes

Cigarettes

What’s in Them May Surprise You

Researchers continue to learn how cigarettes harm health

What You Need to Know

The chemicals in cigarettes can harm your health and take years off your life

70 of the chemicals in cigarettes are known to cause cancer

Cigarettes are addictive

Menthol Cigarettes are Just as Dangerous – If Not More

Quiz: Debunking Myths About Tobacco

I'm Ready to Quit

References

1. Smoking & Tobacco Use, Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm

2. Harmful Chemicals in Tobacco Products, American Cancer Society, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/tobacco-and-cancer/carcinogens-found-in-tobacco-products.html

3. 2022 BRFSS Survey Data and Documentation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_2022.html

4. 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Retrieved from https://cdphe.colorado.gov/healthy-kids-colorado-survey-dashboard

5. The Toll of Tobacco on Colorado, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, last updated June 2024. Retrieved from https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/problem/toll-us/colorado

7. Menthol Tobacco Products, CDC, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/menthol-tobacco/

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