Tobacco products contain hundreds of ingredients besides tobacco. Additives make cigarettes more acceptable to the tobacco user; they can also:

• make smoke seem milder
  
• make smoke easier to inhale
  
• prolong shelf life
  
• prolong burning
  
• improve taste
  (United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2000)

At least one major domestic cigarette maker uses additives to boost the absorption of nicotine in cigarette smoke (USDHHS, 2000).

Additives may be a single chemical used as a humectant or a complex mix of chemicals used as a flavorant (USDHHS, 2000). Although, some of these ingredients may be regarded as safe when ingested in foods, some may form carcinogens when heated or burned (USDHHS, 2000).

Chemical Additives "Also found in:"

In 1994, six major cigarette and ten major smokeless tobacco manufacturers released a list of additives used in their products including:

• 599 ingredients added to manufactured cigarettes (USDHHS, 2000)
  
• 562 ingredients added to manufactured smokeless tobacco (USDHHS, 2000)

Sweeteners and flavorings, such as cherry juice concentrate, apple juice, chocolate liqueur, or honey, are used in various tobacco products. These additives increase taste and may increase the use of tobacco products, at least among beginners (USDHHS, 2000).

Following is a list of toxic compounds found in tobacco products. Cancer-causing chemical compounds are marked with (C); those chemicals that increase the risk of reproductive defects are marked with (R) (National Cancer Institute, 1999; Mitchell, Sobel, & Alexander, 1999;
Severson, 1997; Spence, 1995; USDHHS, 1993; USDHHS, 1989;
O'Neill, Brunnemann, Dodet, Hoffmann, 1987).