Stick It To You!
This activity helps to explain what exactly the chemicals in tobacco are,
and what each of them does to your body.
What you need: Stickers of any kind, two volunteers (one person will be the mannequin and
the other person will place the stickers on them), and one copy of the list below for the
announcer to read so that the volunteer knows where to put the sticker on the mannequin.
1. To start off the activity, see how much the group knows about the chemicals in tobacco.
2. Ask for a volunteer who is willing to get covered in stickers. This person will have a sticker
placed on them for each time a part of the body is mentioned. If no one knows where a
body part mentioned is, then let the volunteer guess and place a sticker wherever they
like.
3. The list of toxins is not a complete list of the toxins that are in cigarettes (over 4,000) but
covers many of the most dangerous ones. Depending on time limits, you may choose to
do all of them or just a few.
Ammonia (also in fertilizer, disinfectants, fuels): at high concentrations can cause:
 Severe eye damage, Asthma
Formaldehyde (used for preserving bodies): suspected to cause cancer in humans. There is an
increase in
 Cancer of the: Lung, Pharynx, Buccal Cavity, liver, bone, skin, prostate gland, bladder,
kidney. Eye, leukemia, and Hodgkin’s Disease
 Irritant to eyes, nose, throat, lungs
 cellular changes in the upper respiratory tract, decrease in respiratory rate and
adversely affects the liver
 cough, phlegm, chronic bronchitis, asthma, shorten of breath, chest colds
 light headiness, dizziness, diminished dexterity, itching eyes, dry and sore throats,
disturbed sleep, unusual thirst
Acetone (also in nail polish remover and superglue): occurs both via inhalation and through the
skin
 Irritates the eyes, nose and throat, and dries and may burn the skin
Crotonaldehyde: known to cause cancer in animals “extremely dangerous material”
 Interferes with DNA function (a genotoxic carcinogen)
Hydrogen Cyanide (also in explosives and holocaust gas chambers): causes
 Nasal irritation, confusion, headache, dizziness, weakness, and nausea
Nickel (also in coinage): causes
 Cancer and gastrointestinal symptoms
 Chronic irritation of the upper respiratory track
Lead (also in paint): causes
 Anemia in blood, cancer, and may lead to lead poisoning which has irreversible affects
on the brain, kidney disease, and will reduce sperm formation and the development of
the fetus
Cadmium (also in batteries): causes
 Kidney Cancer, gastrointestinal symptoms, anemia, discoloration of teeth,
microfractures in bones, pulmonary emphysema, and kidney disease
Quinoline (also in dyes and polymers): causes
 genetic mutations which can lead to cancer, effects the retina of the eye and damages
vision, harms the liver, and irritates the eyes, nose, throat, bronchial tubes, and can
cause sore throat, nose bleeds, cough, and phlegm
Phenol (also in weed killers and causes chemical burns): is
 Toxic to the respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, and neurological system, and can
damage lungs and central nervous system, and induce convulsions
Nicotine: concentrates in the
 Brain, kidney, stomach mucus, nasal mucus, and salivary glands, and can cause
adrenaline, seizures, vomiting, depression in the central nervous system, growth
retardation, developmental toxicity in fetus’s, and preterm birth with reduced body
weight and brain development
Benzene (also in explosives, napalm, and pesticides): is known to cause
 Leukemia and chromosomal aberrations
Toluene (also in paints and glue): causes
 Central Nervous System depression, headaches, loss of appetite, disturbances in
menstruation, reduction in intelligence and psychomotor skills, impaired coordination,
transient memory loss, impaired reaction time, dizziness, nasal discharge, drowsiness
and metallic taste
NNN (a form of nicotine found only in tobacco products): a yellow oily liquid that causes
 Nose, throat, lung, and digestive tract cancer