From

wikipedia

A cigarette is a small cylinder of finely cut tobacco leaves rolled in thin paper for smoking. The
cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end,
which is held in or to the mouth; in some cases, a cigarette holder may be used, as well. Most
modern manufactured cigarettes are filtered and also include reconstituted tobacco and
other additives.[1]
The term cigarette, as commonly used, refers to a tobacco cigarette, but can apply to similar
devices containing other substances, such as cloves or cannabis. A cigarette is distinguished
from a cigar by its smaller size, use of processed leaf, and paper wrapping, which is normally
white, though other colors and flavors are also available. Cigars are typically composed entirely
of whole-leaf tobacco.
Rates of cigarette smoking vary widely throughout the world and have changed considerably
since cigarettes were first widely used in the mid-19th century. While rates of smoking have over
time leveled off or declined in the developed world, they continue to rise in developing nations.[2][3]
Cigarettes carry serious health risks, which are more prevalent than with other tobacco
products. Nicotine, the primary psychoactive chemical in tobacco and therefore cigarettes, is very
addictive.[4] About half of cigarette smokers die of tobacco-related disease [5] and lose on average
14 years of life.[4] Cigarette use by pregnant women has also been shown to cause birth defects,
including low birth weight, fetal abnormalities, and premature birth. [6] Second-hand smoke from
cigarettes has been shown to be injurious to bystanders, [7][8][9][10] which has led to legislation that
has prohibited smoking in many workplaces and public areas. Cigarettes produce
an aerosol containing over 4,000 chemical compounds, including nicotine, carbon monoxide,
acrolein, and other harmful substances.[11] Over 50 of these are carcinogenic.[12] Cigarettes are a
frequent source of fires leading to loss of lives in private homes, which prompted both
the European Union and the United States to ban cigarettes that are not fire-standard
compliant from 2011 onwards.[13][14]

References
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^ Jump up to:a b c d Wigand, J.S. Additives, Cigarette Design and Tobacco Product
Regulation, A Report To: World Health Organization, Tobacco Free Initiative, Tobacco Product
Regulation Group, Kobe, Japan, 28 June-2 July 2006
^ Jump up to:a b "Cigarette Smoking Among Adults - United States, 2006". Cdc.gov.
Retrieved2009-11-13.
^ Jump up to:a b "WHO/WPRO-Smoking Statistics". Wpro.who.int. 2002-05-28. Archived
from the original on November 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
^ Jump up to:a b c http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/chi/chi24-4-pktguide.pdf
Jump up^ Doll, R.; Peto, R.; Boreham, J.; Sutherland, I. (2004). "Mortality in relation to
smoking: 50 years' observations on male British doctors". BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 328 (7455):
1519. doi:10.1136/bmj.38142.554479.AE. PMC 437139. PMID 15213107.

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Jump up^ "Smoking While Pregnant Causes Finger, Toe Deformities". Science Daily.
RetrievedMarch 6, 2007.
Jump up^ "WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" (PDF). World Health
Organization. 2005-02-27. Retrieved 2009-01-12. Parties recognize that scientific evidence has
unequivocally established that exposure to tobacco has the potential to cause death, disease and
disability
Jump up^ "The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A
Report of the Surgeon General". Surgeon General of the United States. 2006-06-27.
Retrieved2014-06-16. Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in
children and adults who do not smoke
Jump up^ "Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a Toxic Air
Contaminant". California Environmental Protection Agency. 2005-06-24. Retrieved2009-01-12.
Jump up^ "Tobacco Smoke and Involuntary Smoking" (PDF). International Agency for
Research on Cancer. 2004. Retrieved 2009-01-12. There is sufficient evidence that involuntary
smoking (exposure to secondhand or 'environmental' tobacco smoke) has the potential to cause
lung cancer in humans
^ Jump up to:a b Csordas, Adam; Bernhard, David (2013). "The biology behind the
atherothrombotic effects of cigarette smoke". Nature Reviews Cardiology 10 (4): 219
230.doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2013.8. ISSN 1759-5002. PMID 23380975.
^ Jump up to:a b Seget M, Karolczak D, Wilk M, Baszczyk A, Szylberg , Florek E,
Marszaek A (2012). "[The awareness of carcinogenic effect of tobacco smoke--a questionnaire
survey of students and employees of Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University]". Prz.
Lek. (in Polish) 69 (10): 9047. PMID 23421057.
Jump up^ "Les cigarettes anti-incendie seront obligatoires en 2011". L'Express.fr (in
French) (L'Expansion). AFP. Retrieved January 2, 2010. According to a study made by European
union in 16 European countries, 11,000 fires were due to cigarettes between 2005 and 2007. They
caused 520 deaths and 1600 injuries.
Jump up^ "European Union Pushes for Self-Extinguishing Cigarettes". Deutsche
Welle (Deutsche Welle). Retrieved January 2, 2010.