About Tobacco Addiction

Overview

The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates tobacco kills about 440,000 Americans annually and that almost 1 in 5 deaths can be linked to smoking. Smoking causes numerous diseases and hurts all of the body's organs. Nicotine is one of the main components in tobacco, and it's the primary cause of tobacco addiction. However, carbon monoxide, tar, nitrosamines and acetaldehyde are among the other harmful chemicals present in cigarette smoke.

Function

Smoke from a tobacco plant contains more than 4,000 chemicals. Each cigarette contains 1mg to 2mg of nicotine. Nicotine quickly reaches the bloodstream and enters the brain, which in turn stimulates the adrenal glands. This releases adrenaline that raises blood pressure and increases heart rate and respiration. To put it in perspective, someone who smokes 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes a day gets as many as 300 doses of nicotine daily. Snuff and chewing tobacco--as well as cigar and pipe smoking--yield addictive results, too, though the nicotine tends to be absorbed into the body more slowly.

Being Addicted

Most smokers use tobacco on a regular basis because they are addicted, despite knowing it's harmful. Research has shown nicotine triggers feelings of pleasure in the brain. The brain then releases the neurotransmitter dopamine as a "reward." Nicotine reaches peak levels within seconds of inhaling.

Withdrawl

The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that about 85 percent of smokers who quit relapse within a week. This is largely attributed to symptoms of withdrawal, which result from the pharmacological effects of nicotine. Symptoms such as irritability, increased appetite, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, depression and cravings start within hours after the first cigarette. Once those withdrawal symptoms ebb--usually after the first few days of quitting smoking--issues linger because the act of smoking has become a consuming behavioral pattern.

Predisposition

Breakthroughs in neuroimaging technology have made it possible to identify changes in brain function that occur when smoking tobacco. Researchers now believe certain genes make people predisposed to addiction and can better predict their reaction to smoking cessation treatments as a result.

Fighting Addiction

Many nicotine replacement therapies can help smokers quit for good. Among them: gum, inhalers, sprays, lozenges and patches that assist with the pharmacological effects of withdrawal. There also are some prescriptions, such as the antidepressant bupropion--approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1997--and Varenicline tartrate (Chantix), the latter acting on parts of the brain affected by nicotine. Behavioral interventions, which take place in smoking cessation clinics and health and community settings, also prove beneficial. Smokers also can call the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' national toll-free number, (800) 784-8669, for information on local support centers and current smoking cessation treatments.