Worldwide, about 1.35 billion people smoke. The world population statistic in 2009 stood at 6.8 billion meaning almost 20% of the world’s population smokes.

Smoking Statistics in the United States

• Caucasians – 21.4% of all Caucasian adults smoke – compared to a few years ago when 26% of Caucasian men and 22% of women smoked
• Black or African Americans – 19.8% of all Black or African Americans smoke – compared to a few years ago when 29% of African American men and 21% of women smoked
• Hispanics – 13.3% of all Hispanics smoke – compared to a few years ago when 24% of all Hispanic men and 12% of women smoked
• Asian and Pacific Islanders – 9.6% of all Asians smoke – compared to a few years ago when 24% of all Asian men smoked and 7% of women smoked
• American Indians and Alaska Natives – 36.4% of American Indians and Alaska natives smoke – compared to a few years ago when 41% of all American Indians/Alaska native men and 41% of women smoked

Teen Smoking Statistics in the United States

• American Teens (those in high school) – 25% of all high schoolers (teens) in the United States smoke
• 1,000 teens become new smokers every day in the United States

Main Cigarette Ingredients You Should Know About

• Aminobiphenyl – a human carcinogen
• Arsenic – inorganic arsenic can cause you to experience a sore throat, irritated lungs, nausea, vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels and a sensation of pins and needles in hands and feet
• Benzene – breathing benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, unconsciousness, harm to bone marrow and a decrease in the production of red blood cells
• Chromium – a human carcinogen
• 2-Naphthylamine – a human carcinogen
• Nickel – can cause asthma attacks, chronic bronchitis, and reduced lung function
• Vinyl chloride – dizziness and sleepiness
• N-Nitrosodiethylamine – a human carcinogen
• N-Nitrosopyrrolidine – a human carcinogen
• N-Nitrosodiethanolamine – a human carcinogen
• Cadmium – possibly a human carcinogen
• Benzo[a]pyrene – can damage red blood cells
• Ammonia – can cause coughing and irritation to the nose and throat
• Acrolein – can cause irritation and damage to the lungs
• Pyridine – can cause headache, giddiness, drowsiness, increased heart rate and rapid breathing
• Catechol – can cause cough, burning sensation, and labored breathing
• Formaldehyde – can cause irritation to your nose, eyes, skin and throat
• Acetone – can irritate your nose, lungs, throat and eyes
• Hydrogen cyanide – can cause headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea and vomiting
• Nicotine – an addictive drug
• Carbon monoxide – enters the lungs and displaces oxygen from the bloodstream
• Toluene – can cause drowsiness, confusion, weakness, drunken-type actions, memory loss, nausea, loss of appetite, hearing loss and color vision loss
• Hydroquinone – can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory system
• Carbon disulfide – can change breathing patterns and induce chest pains
• Lead – can cause weakness in your fingers, wrists and ankles and mind, can negatively affect your memory, can affect blood cell production and disrupt the male reproductive system
• Phenol – can lead to liver damage, diarrhea, dark urine and hemolytic anemia.

Courtesy of Onlineschools.org