Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemical compounds, and at least 250 are known to be toxic to smokers and passive smokers. These include hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, and ammonia. There are also 69 known cancer-causing chemicals, including formaldehyde, radioactive Polonium-210, acetaldehyde, cadmium, benzene, and arsenic. ¹⁾

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 public. ²⁾