Nicotine is the primary addictive component of tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the most popular method of obtaining nicotine, though chewing smokeless tobacco, smoking pipes and smoking cigars also deliver nicotine to the body. Cigarette smoke, however, offers the strongest and quickest effects.
Nicotine gives an almost immediate kick to the adrenal glands, discharging epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. This rush of adrenaline is stimulating to the system and causes increased respiration, blood pressure and heart rate. This adrenaline rush is highly addictive.
Nicotine is an extremely addictive drug. Nicotine use activates "reward" pathways in the brain that regulate pleasurable feelings. Use also increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is the brain chemical responsible for managing the desire to use drugs. Long-term tobacco use leads to brain changes that result in nicotine addiction.
A number of health risks are associated with prolonged nicotine use. Smoking causes various cancers, the most common being lung cancer. It can also lead to chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Asthma is exacerbated by cigarette smoke, and the risk of heart disease, stroke and aneurysm are significantly increased in smokers. Secondhand smoke is also a health danger.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2009), an estimated 440,000 Americans die each year due to cigarette smoking.
Cigarette smoking has decreased in recent years in the United States, as awareness of the health hazards of nicotine has spread. Nicotine use is more prevalent in certain groups, however, such as blue-collar workers, African Americans, and those in low-income brackets and with little education.
Nicotine addiction has high co-morbidity with some psychological conditions. Those who suffer from psychiatric disorders, as well as people with addictions to alcohol or other substances, are more likely to smoke than their healthy counterparts.
Symptoms associated with nicotine addiction include:
Effective treatments for nicotine addiction do exist, and quitting nicotine use has immediate health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health (2009), within 24 hours of quitting nicotine:
Nicotine replacement therapies, including nicotine gum and patches, are some of the most common means of smoking cessation. They are used along with behavioral support to ease physical withdrawal symptoms. These products contain less nicotine than cigarettes and provide some of the pleasure associated with tobacco products.
Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include:
Some medications have shown promise of aiding in smoking cessation. Two common medicines, Zyban® and Chantix®, may help to reduce withdrawal symptoms and reduce nicotine’s effects. Other medicines are currently being tested.
Behavioral methods of treatment have shown great success in treating nicotine addiction. Self-help methods are available. Cognitive-behavioral therapy--either one-on-one or in a group--is another commonly sought intervention.
A number of services can assist you in nicotine cessation. Check with your physician for resources. The following may be able to help:
It is possible to quit smoking or using tobacco products. The longer the treatment, the more successful you are likely to be.
eMedicine. (n.d.) Nicotine addiction. Retrieved August 24, 2010, from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/287555-overview
National Institutes of Health. (2009). Making the decision to quit tobacco. Retrieved August 24, 2010, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002032.htm
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2009). Tobacco addiction. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/PDF/TobaccoRRS_v16.pdf