Chemicals, Poisons, Carcinogens in Secondhand Smoke

A few of the 4,000 chemicals in secondhand smoke, several of which are cancer causing agents, are listed below.

This is from Table 3-1, 1992 EPA Report, Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking.

Benzene
2-Napthylamine
4-Aminobiphenyl
Nickel
Polonium 210 (radioactive)
Nitrogen oxides
N-Nitrosodimethylamine
N-Nitrosodiethylamine
N-Nitrosopyrrolidine
1,3-Butadiene
Analine
Formaldehyde
Hydrazine
N-Nitrodiethanolamine
Cadmium
Benzo[a]pyrene
Benz[a]anthracene
Y-Butyrolactone
Particulate matter
N-Nitrosonornicotine
NNK
Carbon monoxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbonyl sulfide
Toluene
Acrolein
Acetone
Pyridine
3-Methylpyridine
3-Vinylpyridine
Hydrogen cyanide
Ammonia
Methylamine
Dimethylamine
Nicotine
Anatabine
Phenol
Catechol
Hydorquinone
Cholesterol
Quinoline
Harman
Zinc
Benzoic acid
Lactic acid
Glycolic acid
Succinic acit
PCDDs and PCDFs (Dioxins, Dibenzofurans)
Formic acid
Acetic acid
Methyl chloride

EXCERPTS from The Boston Globe, May 2, 2001, writer D. C. Denison, headlined:  New series of antismoking ads aim for surprise factor

The 30-second television advertisement opens with a shot of a man wearing a large protective breathing apparatus over his mouth and nose; thick goggles shield his eyes; his hands are sheathed in rubber gloves. Chemist Dave Blackwell explains that he is handling acetone, a dangerous chemical.

An off-screen voice asks him, ''Would you ever breathe that without that
mask?''

His response is quick: ''No.''

''Did you know that cigarette smoke contains acetone?''

Blackwell, clearly surprised, stares blankly at the camera for a few long
seconds.

''No, I didn't,'' he answers finally, his voice muffled by the mask.

Surprise is a major element in a series of antismoking advertisements
scheduled to launch throughout Massachusetts tomorrow. The ads, created by Arnold Worldwide for the Massachusetts Tobacco Control program, feature stark documentary-style interviews with professionals who handle hazardous chemicals. After a few background questions, each interview subject is asked whether he realizes that tobacco contains the dangerous chemical he's been discussing. In each case, the subject is clearly taken by surprise.

''That's what we were going for, the surprise and the un-knowing,''
according to Peter Favat, the creative director at Arnold Worldwide who
supervised the campaign. ''There's a tension and an uneasiness. We're hoping that the viewer is surprised as well as the person in the advertisement.''

Shooting the advertisements required an unusual, ''Candid Camera''-style
approach. According to Favat, the interview subjects, all employees of local
companies, were told that they were participating in a documentary film
about hazardous chemicals. Then, at the end of each interview, the subjects were asked if they knew the chemical was present in cigarette smoke. Each subject's reaction, captured live, is the central element in the
commercials.

''We wanted to reach people with a different kind of style,'' said Dr.
Howard Koh, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which runs the Massachusetts Tobacco Control program. ''There's a real authenticity to these ads, because they were not scripted in any way. So they ring true.

''The tobacco industry has spent millions of dollars to normalize a
carcinogen,'' he added. ''We wanted to de-normalize it.''

The TV campaign, which is funded by the state's cigarette tax and funds from the tobacco settlement, is scheduled to run throughout Massachusetts for a total of six weeks. There also will be complementary radio ads.  [and a] print campaign ... in cities and towns where smoking ordinances will be addressed at public hearings.

Michael Moore, best known for his film ''Roger and Me,'' served as both
director and interviewer for the TV spots.

''Michael Moore doesn't do many ads, and he usually doesn't allow his voice
to be used,'' according to Arnold Worldwide creative director Favat. ''But
he allowed us to use his voice in these ads. He was up for this game.''