Smoke makes hair and clothing stink. Smoking can affect a person's ability to smell and taste food. About 500 people die each year of smoking-related diseases. Smoke can cause reddening, itching and watering eyes. Secondhand smoke kills about 3,000 nonsmokers each year from lung disease.
Cigarette smoke contains one chemical.
That chemical is called nicotine. It takes about ten seconds for nicotine absorbed into the bloodstream to reach the brain. Smoking is a difficult habit to quit. Nicotine, the chemical found in cigarettes, is an addictive drug. A smoker is twice as likely to have a heart attack as a nonsmoker is.