Tar (in Cigs)
Need help to stop smoking ?
Tar is one of many chemicals found in cigarettes.
Tar is a viscous (thick) black liquid. Most tar is
produced from coal as a byproduct of coke production, but it can also
be produced from petroleum, peat or wood.
As a cigarette is smoked, the amount of tar in cigarettes
inhaled into the lungs tends to increase, so for example, the last puff
can contain more than twice as much tar as the first
puff. When cigarette smoke is inhaled it condenses and deposits cigarette
tar in the lungs. This tar then transports many of the
dangerous chemicals in cigarettes smoke directly into the body.
Tar was an essential component of the first sealed, or "tarmac", roads and is still used as a solid on road surfaces today. Historically, it was also used as seal for roofing shingles and to seal the hulls of ships and boats.
Note that the list of chemicals included in this section (see the list on the left) is not a complete list of all the substances found in cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products.
