What tobacco and its smoke contain
Tobacco is a plant grown in warm regions, and its dried leaves are used to make cigarettes. The leaves contain nicotine, an organic compound of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, alkaline in nature, which vaporises when the cigarette burns and is breathed in. They also hold carbohydrates and proteins, which burn to give carbon monoxide and tar, minerals including potassium, magnesium and calcium, toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and arsenic, and a very small amount of radioactive polonium-210. When tobacco burns it gives several thousand different chemicals. Most are toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia, or are known to cause cancer. The World Health Organization states that tobacco use, including second-hand smoke, causes more than 8 million deaths a year around the world. This lesson is about facts, not blame: if someone you love smokes, you can ask them kindly and talk to an adult you trust.
| In tobacco and its smoke | What it is |
|---|---|
| nicotine | addictive |
| carbon monoxide | toxic gas |
| tar | sticky dark mixture |
| heavy metals | toxic |
Card match, with a grown-up. No tobacco, smoke or cigarette is used or drawn. Write the substances on cards (nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar, cadmium, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia) and the descriptions on others (addictive; toxic gas, colourless and odourless; sticky dark mixture; toxic heavy metal; toxic gas; toxic gas with a strong smell). Match them in pairs and check with your grown-up. Which word hides the most different substances?