Cigarette smoke contain over 7,000 chemical compounds, at least 250 are know to be toxic to smokers and passive smokers. This include hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, and ammonia. There are also 69 known cancer-causing chemicals, including Formaldehyde, radioactive Polonium-210, Acetaldehyde, Cadmium, Benzene or Arsenic¹⁾.

In 1908 in New York Katie Mulcahey was arrested for smoking a cigarette. This was a violation of The Sullivan Ordinance, a city law banning women from smoking in public. She was fined $5.00. Two weeks later, The Sullivan Ordinance was vetoed and women could smoke in public²⁾.