eli5: If tobacco is a leaf, why does it have so many substances known to cause cancer?

Question

* Source is the packaging I’ve just read for a pack of tobacco in the UK which says it has 70 cancer causing substances

In: 2

Answer 1

Tobacco isn’t too bad. Nicotine is barely bad at all. Breathing smoke is **definitely** bad, regardless of whether it’s tobacco, random leaves, or really any source. Smoke is *bad* and your lungs are extremely sensitive to it.

Smoking cannabis is just as bad and damaging as smoking cigarettes, but since people who use cannabis generally don’t smoke 20 joints per day it’s less of an issue in practice.