Why Mainstream Smoke Is so Harmful

Why Mainstream Smoke Is so Harmful Addiction Nicotine Use Smoking-Related Diseases Print Why Mainstream Smoke Is so Harmful By Terry Martin facebook twitter Terry Martin quit smoking after 26 years and is now an advocate for those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction. Learn about our editorial policy Terry Martin Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD on January 02, 2016 Sanja Jelic, MD, is board-certified in sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine.   Learn about our Medical Review Board Sanja Jelic, MD Updated on November 25, 2019 peter zelei/Getty Images More in Addiction Nicotine Use Smoking-Related Diseases After You Quit How to Quit Smoking Nicotine Withdrawal The Inside of Cigarettes Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Coping and Recovery Mainstream smoke is the inhaled and exhaled smoke created while taking a puff on a lit cigarette. It is one of two components in secondhand smoke.  The second is sidestream smoke, which  is the smoke that wafts off the end of a lit cigarette. Whats in Mainstream Smoke? There are plenty of cancer-causing chemicals in mainstream smoke.  Some of them are: PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons)NitrosaminesCarbon monoxideNicotineAmmoniaAcroleinIsopreneBenzeneToluene The composition of mainstream smoke is affected by how the smoker inhales and exhales, so it will vary from person to person. The frequency of puffs, duration, and volume all contribute to the chemical makeup of mainstream smoke, as well. Differences Between Mainstream and Sidestream Smoke Sidestream smoke is more toxic than mainstream smoke for a couple of reasons that science has identified. 1) Incomplete burning. The temperature of a smoldering cigarette is approximately 400 degrees centigrade, and its closer to 900 degrees centigrade during a puff. Toxic chemicals  present in higher amounts because of incomplete burning are 2-naphthylamine, N-nitrosodimethylamine, 4-aminobiphenyl, and carbon monoxide.   2) Particle size.  Sidestream smoke contains smaller particles than mainstream smoke. These tiny toxic particles  are more easily absorbed deep in the lungs and other cells in the body, where they can contribute to cancer and other smoking-related diseases like COPD and heart disease. How Much Mainstream Smoke Is in Secondhand Smoke?   Surprisingly, the majority of cigarette smoke is sidestream smoke.  Just 15 percent of the smoke from a cigarette comes from mainstream smoke.  The rest â€" 85 percent â€" is due to sidestream smoke. Non-smokers breathing secondhand smoke  in an enclosed space are exposed to the worst of the toxins that cigarettes contain. Passive or involuntary smoking is the name given to breathing in cigarette smoke when youre not actively smoking yourself. Health Risks Breathing in mainstream smoke for the smoker means that they are also inhaling sidestream smoke lingering in the air. There is no way to breathe in one  without the other.  So, the risks we look at are due to secondhand smoke, a combination of the two. Secondhand smoke is linked to a number of cancers, including: Lung cancerOral cancerEsophageal cancerStomach cancerLiver cancerBladder cancerPancreatic cancer And, as mentioned above, the toxins in cigarette smoke also increase the risk of COPD and heart disease.  Heart disease is the biggest killer of smokers. How to Protect Your Family From Secondhand Smoke While we cant control every environment we are exposed to, we do have authority over our own homes, where much of  the secondhand smoke exposure for kids happens.  Make yours smoke-free, and do the same with your cars. This will help you and those you love to avoid the dangers of secondhand smoke and another dangerous by-product of tobacco smoke, thirdhand smoke. As the Surgeon General stated    in the 2006 report of the Surgeon General,  The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke,   There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. It is toxic air and should be avoided at all costs. Quit Smoking Sooner Rather Than Later Dont put it off and dont be afraid.  Nicotine addiction twists our thoughts  and makes us think we cant live without cigarettes, but the opposite is true. Once youve recovered, youll see how much better life is without the ball and chain of addiction dragging along behind you day in and day out.