Of the several thousand chemicals in tobacco smoke, at least 69 are known to cause cancer
Heavy Metals: Trace amounts of metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic may be present, which can leach into the smoke during combustion
Some can be bought in your local corner shop, or even given to you as a teenager at the table with your parents on special occasions
In 2020, 8.5% of adult current smokers successfully quit smoking in the past year, up from 7.5% in 2018
Harold Wimmer, president of the American Lung Association, said Thursday's announcement was "game-changing." "For generations, the tobacco industry has intentionally targeted Black and other communities with marketing of menthol cigarettes, resulting in tobacco-related death and disease as well as health disparities," he wrote in a statement, adding that close to half of all kids start smoking with menthol cigarettes." Because the vast majority of adult smokers start smoking as teenagers, experts say a ban on menthol has the potential to dramatically reduce the number of people who begin smoking
Likewise, smoking cessation has a lower chance of triggering acid reflux or GERD symptoms than continuing smoking cigarettes
