A question on manufacture of cigarettes?

Question

First of all, I know cigarettes are bad for you but why don't they minimise the damage? I mean, for starters, why do they have to put chemicals into cigarettes (like cyanide, benzene, etc.) when tobacco does not contain any of these compounds? Tobacco is a plant and should not have harmful ingredients in it other than nicotine. Why is it impossible to sell cigarettes containing nothing but tobacco? I understand that these chemicals will make the ciggies burn faster and other tricky things but I'm sure if those additives weren't there in the first place then cigarettes would be nowhere near as harmful. So it should be nicotine and the carbon dioxide/monoxide only that poisoning us. In addition, they could put some vitamins and minerals into cigarettes so that at least some good can be inhaled with the bad.

David C, thanx for the explanation on combustion but I'm very aware of this subject. Combustion of a plant on its own wouldn't produce cyanide, Polonium, etc. Oxides of Nitrogen are, yes, bad for you, but you'd get them from car fumes or just at your bankholiday Monday barbeque!

Answer 1

you are so correct, if they would take out some of the bad things then cigarettes would be ok (i think) to smoke. i have been off them for 14 months but i still wish i could smoke, if they did what you are suggesting, i and many more would be able to enjoy one again (i think) thanks for the nice thought, have a good day.

Answer 2

Cigarettes are bad for you, putting vitamins in wouldn't help.
The co you take in when you smoke builds up in your blood and other tissues. It takes a long time to clear. This is bad enough on its own. I don't know if manufactures add any chemicals or not, but don't think just because it's made from plants that it won't have poisons in it, the nicotine in one cigarette is enough to kill a full grown man, if instead of smoking the Cigarette the nicotine is taken out and injected.

Answer 3

Yes - cigarette smoking is injurious to health. This is what the survey says. It is not only bad for the smoker but also for environment and person near smoker (passive smoker). Why do they manufacture? It is a million dollar question. Easy to stop manufacturing. But why this is not being done. In a democracy, everybody is permitted to follow a trade and you cannot stop it. If people give up smoking or reduce smoking, automatically the manufacture would stop being non-profitable. Through legislature, it may pose many problems,

Answer 4

I think that you have some area of confusion here. Combustion or burning is a complex sequence of chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat or both heat and light in the form of either a glow or flames.

In a complete combustion reaction, a compound reacts with an oxidising element, and the products are compounds of each element in the fuel with the oxidising element.

In reality, combustion processes are never perfect or complete. In flue gases from combustion of carbon compounds (as in combustion of plant materials, ie Tobacco.) both unburned carbon (as soot) and carbon compounds (CO and others) will be present. Also, when air is the oxidant, some nitrogen will be oxidised to various, mostly harmful, nitrogen oxides.

Incomplete combustion occurs when there isn't enough oxygen to allow the fuel (the Tobacco) to react completely with the oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.

The reactant will burn and yield carbon dioxide, water, carbon monoxide, pure carbon (soot or ash) and various other compounds such as nitrogen oxides. In addition to these, incomplete combustion will produce large amounts of byproducts, and it is these byproducts that can be quite unhealthy

In addition to the leaf blend, cigarettes contain ‘fillers’ which are made from the stems and other bits of tobacco which would otherwise be waste products. These are mixed with water and various flavourings and additives.

The ratio of filler varies among brands. For example, a high filler content makes a less dense cigarette with a slightly lower tar delivery. Additives are used to make tobacco products more acceptable to the consumer. They include humectants (moisturisers) to prolong shelf life; sugars to make the smoke seem milder and easier to inhale; and flavourings such as chocolate and vanilla. While some of these may appear to be quite harmless in their natural form they may be toxic in combination with other substances. Also when additives are burned, new products of combustion are formed and these may be toxic.

Answer 5

I understood that most cigs are made by taking the tobacco, cleaning and filtering it, then adding a chemical cocktail back to it to help it maintain a consistent level of taste, texture, burning time etc etc It's like McDonalds standardising how their burgers are made, or the recipe for Coke, otherwise Marlborough lights would taste different depending on the natural variation of the tobacco plants.
Nicotine is naturally in tobacco and is the key addictive drug.

Answer 6

The majority of the chemicals in cigarettes are to keep the cigarette from going out. They are burning agents.

Roll ups don't have a lot of these chemicals - this is why rollies always go out.

Answer 7

I like your train of thought. But from the little i know of plants we would all end up smoking something that looked and smelled like cigars i think.

Nicotine is one of the most poisonous natural toxins known to humans. One drop of it in liquid form can kill an adult if i remember rightly or severy put them in intensive care at least. Ohhh ... might just have to put that question in medicine now :-)

Answer 8

They add these chemicals to make the cigarette burn faster and to make them more addictive, another one is to keep the cigarette mburning when you are not drawing on it.

Answer 9

haven't a clue on this one....you'll get answers though saying why don't they just shut their doors down....The gov't isn't going to shut them down....they get money from them and from the taxes....they can't outlaw everything that is harmful to you they have tried it with pot but the country is over run with it...go figure that one....

Answer 10

i think that it's the smoke from tobacco where you get the benzine e.t.c