Tobacco smoke (direct / secondhand)
Toxins · Combustion complex
Critical priority
What this is
The single largest preventable cause of disease/death globally. Varenicline (Chantix) and NRT remain best cessation aids; Allen Carr's Easy Way method has surprisingly good real-world efficacy. No 'safe' amount established. Vaping reduces harm substantially vs combustion but not to zero — particularly concerning for never-smoker adolescents.
Mechanism
70+ known carcinogens in combusted tobacco — PAHs, N-nitrosamines, formaldehyde, benzene, cadmium, radioactive polonium-210; also nicotine addictive alkaloid
Dose & route
Don't smoke; avoid secondhand; ventilate post-exposure
Citations
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24432948/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31557147/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6345282/
Links go to the source. If a link is dead or you want something re-checked, let me know.
This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.