Think again. Tobacco companies use a very specific and scientifically-researched blueprint for cigarette design that borders on diabolical. Cigarettes are intentionally designed to get (and keep) you addicted as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here are the five evil elements of a cigarette's design:
*Reconstituted tobacco: This mix consists of chopped tobacco leaves and stems infused with pure nicotine to compensate for seasonal variations in the leaves' natural nicotine content. This blend also contains ammonia, which literally causes you to freebase the nicotine.
*Expanded tobacco: Some of the reconstituted tobacco is puffed with air so it expands and fills out the paper body of the cigarette. Before using air, one cigarette company used Freon, the burning of which produces Phosgene - an anti-personnel gas used in WW I.
*Porosity and Burn Rings: The more porous the paper, the more outside air can pass through to feed the fire. Burn rings are slivers of heavier paper that act as a series of fire breaks. Together, the porosity and number of burn rings control how fast you smoke the cigarette.
*Filter: Not really a filter at all - this wad of cellulose acetate (a substance also used in lacquer paint and photographic film) prevents very few of the 60-plus carcinogens in a typical cigarette from entering your lungs.
*Ventilation Holes: Found on "light" cigarettes, these holes are designed to dilute the smoke, and therefore the tar and nicotine you take in. But in practice, most smokers unconsciously block the holes with their fingertips or lips, or just take longer drags.
*Source: Jim Thornton, Men's Health magazine - June 2008
0 comments:
Post a Comment