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. In the U.S., about 1 million children under the age of 18 are smokers. Teens who smoke cigarettes are more likely to try smoking marijuana than teens who don't smoke cigarettes. President Clinton is a smoker.