Tobacco smoke is composed of nearly 4,000 chemical compounds, over 40 of them being carcinogenic substances. The compounds contained in tarry substances are dangerous for health, which in a tobacco incandescence temperature penetrate into the organisms in the form of smoke, despite the filters applied.

Xenobiotics present in cigarette smoke have various effects within a smoker’s body, including direct (toxic, irritant, and ciliotoxic) and distant (e.g. mutagenic and carcinogenic).

Among carcinogenic substances occurring in tobacco smoke, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrosoamines, cadmium and nickel, as well as radioactive isotopes of lead and polonium which are the most dangerous.

Carcinogenic substances present in tobacco smoke are classified according to the mechanism of their effect into: carcinogens, cocarcinogens and cancerpromoters. The majority of carcinogens absorbed into the organism require metabolic activation into biocarcinogens, triggering the process of malignant transformation of tissues.

Health effects of cigarette smoking are observed not only in the region of the oral cavity or lungs (absorption), but also in all other organs, e.g. the urinary bladder, pancreas, reproductive organs, etc. The studies indicated that tobacco smoking shows a significant relationship, and to a high extent increases the risk of occurrence of all histologic types of lung cancer, bladder carcinoma, gastric ulcer, impotence in males and decreased fertility in females.

Negative effect of tobacco smoke concerns not only smokers, but also people staying in a tobacco smoke atmosphere. In recent years, greater attention has been paid to the health consequences of so-called ‘passive smoking’ concerning especially smokers’ children.

The number of smokers in Poland is constantly increasing, therefore there is a need for an active health promoting education in order to counteract the negative effects of tobacco addiction.