text: does tobacco itself have harmful elements? cigarettes have a lot of thing added to them that are harmful, how about the tobacco plant itself? for example would be it bad if someone just smoked dryed out tobacco plant leaves? good question, i think.  nicotine is a physically addictive drug that acts as an euphoric and vasal-constrictor.  it can raise your blood pressure.  tobacco also has tar and burning the leaves, burning anything gives off carbon monoxide.  tar sticks to your lungs and gets in your blood.  it can cause body cells to turn into cancer cells.  carbon monoxide makes it hard for your blood to carry oxygen.  so.... smoking the leaves is still dangerous.  sorry.