Heavy　metal　contamination　induced　by　cigarette　smoking　is　a　critical　issue　in　environmental　pollution　and　human　health　risk.　Although　a　number　of　investigations　have　been　performed　on　the　detection　of　heavy　metals　in　cigarette　tobacco,　only　very　limited　data　have　been　reported　for　the　determination　of　these　metals　in　other　parts　of　cigarettes.　In　this　study,　the　contents　of　copper,　cadmium,　chromium,　nickel　and　lead　in　cigarette　tobacco,　smoke,　ash　and　butts　were　quantified　using　high-resolution　continuum　source　graphite　furnace　atomic　absorption　spectrometry.　The　LODs　for　Cu,　Cd,　Cr,　Ni　and　Pb　were　0.010　mu　g　L-1,　0.020　mu　g　L-1,　0.025　mu　g　L-1,　0.030　mu　g　L-1　and　0.012　mu　g　L-1,　respectively.　Twelve　cigarette　samples　purchased　from　eleven　popular　brands　in　China　were　used　for　the　heavy　metal　measurements.　Microwave　digestion　was　employed　for　the　preparation　of　the　cigarette　tobacco,　ash　and　butt　samples.　A　smoke　collection　apparatus,　which　was　designed　to　simulate　human　smoking　behavior　by　alternating　suction　and　pause　intervals,　was　used　to　capture　the　heavy　metals　in　smoke.　The　total　amounts　of　the　determined　metals　were　observed　to　be　the　highest　in　ash　(55.60　to　125.99　mu　g　g(-1)),　followed　by　tobacco　(11.70　to　22.34　mu　g　g(-1))　and　butts　(4.29　to　15.22　mu　g　g(-1)),　and　were　0.67,　0.10,　0.14,　0.16　and　0.24　mu　g　per　cigarette　for　Cu,　Cd,　Cr,　Ni　and　Pb,　respectively,　in　smoke.　The　residual　rates　of　the　heavy　metals　in　ash,　smoke　and　butts　were　measured　to　estimate　the　distribution　of　each　element　after　the　cigarette　tobacco　was　fully　burnt.　The　results　indicated　that　the　majority　of　the　heavy　metals　(41.1%　to　68.7%)　remained　in　ash,　with　10.0%　to　28.0%　condensed　in　butts　and　6.6%　to　22.9%　released　into　the　mainstream　smoke.　Moreover,　a　high　variance　of　the　five　metal　contents　was　observed　in　different　brands　of　cigarettes,　which　might　be　associated　with　the　geographical　origin　of　the　tobacco　plant,　cigarette　production　procedure,　and　transportation　and　storage　of　the　materials　and　products.　This　study　provides　a　reliable　method　for　the　quantitation　of　heavy　metals　in　different　components　of　cigarettes,　which　will　be　beneficial　to　the　prevention　of　heavy　metal　hazards　and　the　reduction　of　human　health　risks　through　tobacco　consumption.