Smoking-Related TermsAddiction: An uncontrollable compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its consequence.
Carcinogen: A substance that can cause changes that can lead to cancer. Carcinogens are categorized into levels by the Environmental Protection Agency. Tobacco smoking is classified at the highest-rated, carcinogenic to humans. Secondhand smoke has been classified in this same group.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS): Secondhand smoke is also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS); exposure to secondhand smoke is called involuntary smoking or passive smoking.
Mainstream Smoke (MS): The smoke that smokers pull through the mouthpiece when they inhale or puff. Nonsmokers are exposed to mainstream smoke when smokers exhale.
Nicotine: One of the many cancer-causing ingredients in a cigarette. An addictive drug, which when inhaled in cigarette smoke reaches the brain faster than drugs that enter the body intravenously.
Physical dependency: Defined by the appearance of characteristic withdrawal symptoms when the drug is suddenly discontinued.
Psychological addiction: A dependency of the mind that leads to psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Secondhand Smoke (SHS): Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar, and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers.
Sidestream Smoke (SS): The smoke that goes directly into the air from the burning end of the cigarette. Sidestream smoke has large amounts of certain noxious compounds and continuously pollutes the air.
Smoking Attributed Mortality (SAM): The number of deaths directly associated with smoking tobacco.
Smoking cessation:The effort to stop smoking tobacco products. With nicotine an addictive substance, many people find it hard to stop smoking without help. Various approaches are available, both psychological and pharmacological.