Cigarette Smoke Components and Disease: Cigarette Smoke I s More Thana Triad of Tar, Nicotine, and Carbon Monoxide

INTRODUCTION Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of chemicals. Some smoke components, such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and nitrogen oxides, are gases. Others, such as formaldehyde, acrolein, benzene, and certain N-nitrosamines, are volatile chemicals contained in the liquid-vapor portion of the smoke aerosol. Still others, such as nicotine, phenol