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Drugs, alcohol, and smoking

What's in a cigarette?

Think that a cigarette is just made of nicotine and tobacco? Think again! A cigarette releases 4,000 chemicals when a person smokes it. If you take a look in your garage, basement, or under your kitchen sink, you will find some of the things put into cigarettes. Match the clues with the names of the chemical.

In the box next to the name of the chemical, put the letter of the description you think best fits.

You can also find this ingredient in rat poison.	Formaldehyde
See those yellow stains on a smoker’s teeth? The same chemical is used to pave streets!	Cyanide
You see it everyday when you throw out your trash because it’s also used to make garbage bags.	Nicotine
Preserves dead bodies. Yuck!	Tar
This is a poison used to kill bugs!	Benzene
Found in batteries.	Carbon monoxide
The drug that makes it hard for you to quit smoking. It’s used in other things too, like the bug spray you use on your plants.	Hydrogen cyanide
You wouldn't stand behind a car with exhaust coming out, would you? This exhaust is also in cigarettes.	Vinyl chloride
Helps your car run, because it's also used to make gasoline.	Lead
You can use it to take off your nail polish, but you also inhale it when you smoke cigarettes. Gross!	Ammonia
Clean your house with this chemical. Don't smoke it!	Acetone

 

Content last updated March 28, 2008

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