Tobacco is an agricultural crop, most commonly used to make cigarettes. It’s grown all over the world and supports a multi-billion-dollar industry. Tobacco’s addictive ingredient is nicotine, a stimulant, but cigarettes contain more than 4,000 other chemicals — 2,000 of which are known to be poisonous.
As a nervous-system stimulant, tobacco triggers complex body and brain disruptions. Tobacco use:
- Elevates your heart rate and blood pressure.
- Constricts blood vessels.
- Irritates lung tissue.
- Reduces your ability to taste and smell.