January 20, 2011 - A report published in Chemical Research in Toxicology suggests that one of the cancer causing chemicals found in cigarettes can harm smokers within 30 minutes. The study looked a specific chemical found in cigarettes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), to see how long it took for the chemical to damage DNA. The study concluded that it took at least 15 minutes for the human body to modify the chemical into another chemical that damages DNA. Professor Stephen Hecht, from the University of Minnesota, noted the study’s ability to investigate human metabolism of PAH without interference by other sources of exposure is unique and should be taken as a stark warning to smokers and those who are considering starting.

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