acetaldehyde

Produced when sugar burns.

Why is it in cigarettes?

• Works with nicotine to increase the brain's addiction.
• Neutralizes the harshness of ammonia in the smoke.

What does it mean?

• Purposefully included to increase addictive properties of cigarettes.
• Targets younger potential smokers.
• Is toxic. Acetaldehyde is proven to cause mutations in cells and embryos, and tumors.

More...

When the sugar in a cigarette is burned, one of the new chemicals produced in the pyrolysis zone is acetaldehyde. Quantities of sugar added to cigarettes were increased once the tobacco companies' research uncovered the synergistic relationship between nicotine and acetaldehyde to create and strengthen addiction.[1]

Acetaldehyde will react with ammonia in the cigarette smoke to make the smoke "milder", that is, less harsh when it is inhaled. Thus it is one of many ingredients added to make it easier to start smoking.[2]

Not only did the tobacco companies' own reasearch show the addictive properties provided by acetaldehyde, the research also showed its health effects:

"Acetaldehyde: Is a positive mutagen, it is embryotoxic, teratogenic and induces respiratory tract tumours in hamsters when inhaled."[3]

Links

A good website for more information about what is in tobacco smoke: http://www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/fact12.html

References

[1] online report: Action on Smoking and Health, Tobacco additives: cigarette engineering and nicotine addiction, July 1999. Section 3.4.1. - see: http://www.ash.org.uk/?additives

[2] online report: Action on Smoking and Health, Tobacco additives: cigarette engineering and nicotine addiction, July 1999. Section 5. - see: http://www.ash.org.uk/?additives

[3] tobacco company document: British American Tobacco (BAT) December 12th, 1986, Mutagenic Activity of Flavour Compounds. FN AQ2222, BN 400916808-400916815 found at: http://www.ash.org.uk/?additives

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