Smoking

* tar, a black, sticky substance that contains many poisonous chemical such as: ammonia (found in floor and window cleaner), toluene (found in industrial solvents) and acetone (found in paint stripper and nail polish remover)

* nicotine, the addictive drug in tobacco

* carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that reduces the amount of oxygen taken up by a person's red blood cells

* hydrogen cyanide, the poison used in gas chambers during World War ll

* metals, including lead, nickel, arsenic (white ant poison) and cadmium (used in car batteries)

* pesticides such as methoprene (found in flea powder). Other chemicals such as benzene (found in petrol) and naphthalene (found in mothballs) are also in tobacco smoke.

Through over 6000 interviews conducted with

Wisconsin residents, the Wisconsin Tobacco Survey

(WTS) offers insight into the perplexing problem of

why people continue to smoke. This report examines:

the smoking climate, smokers’ attitudes toward

tobacco use, reasons for smoking, relapsing after a

quit attempt, and why some smokers don’t try to quit.

This report also makes recommendations, based on

these findings, that are designed to reduce tobacco

use in Wisconsin.

In this report, respondents were categorized into three

groups: never smokers, former smokers and current

smokers. In this paper, current smokers are further

divided into three groups: light (5 or fewer cigarettes a

day and occasional smokers); moderate (6-20 cigarettes

a day); and heavy (21 plus). In the study 23 percent

of current smokers were light, 61 percent moderate

and 16 percent heavy. The terms “light” and

“moderate” are not intended to indicate risk from

smoking. They are used to designate relative

consumption.

The WTS shows that smokers tend to live and work in

a climate of smoking. They are more likely than other

Wisconsin residents to have smokers in their

households and to have spouses, friends and family

members who smoke. Moderate and heavy...