1. Works Faster Than Heroin
Inhaled nicotine takes only six seconds to reach the brain, which is twice as fast as inhaling heroin! Nicotine is an alkaloid poison that immediately moves into the small blood vessels of your skin, lungs and mucous membranes on your gums and in the lining of your nose. It stimulates the release of endorphins in your brain and adrenalin in your body, which increases your heart rate and blood pressure and makes your breathing shallow. Sixty milligrams of nicotine will kill you by paralyzing your breathing. The average cigarette contains 8 to 20 milligrams, but your body absorbs only about one milligram with each cigarette.
2. The Woes of Withdrawal
Thirty minutes is all it takes to start experiencing minor nicotine withdrawal. After three hours of withdrawal, you'll start experiencing some of the major symptoms of anxiety, sadness, headaches, irritability, drowsiness or insomnia, weight gain due to increased appetite and difficulty concentrating. The good news is that nicotine withdrawal is short-lived and usually doesn't last more than one month.
3. Antidepressants for Nicotine Withdrawal Treatment
The theory behind using antidepressants to treat nicotine withdrawal is to treat drug withdrawal with a drug. However, these antidepressants should only be used in extreme cases and if suggested by a doctor. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved antidepressants such as fluoxetine, commonly known as Prozac, and buspirone as a treatment for nicotine dependence. In 2006, the FDA also approved varenicline tartrate, or Chantix, to treat nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
4. The Reality About Replacement Therapy
If you're a smoker and think that nicotine replacement therapy like the patch or nicotine chewing gum is the way to quit, you may want to reconsider. For chewing gum, you'll probably munch on two to ten pieces per day for about three months, depending on heavy a smoker you are. Nicotine chewing gum can cause burning in the throat, hiccups and dental problems, but it can reduce the cravings and withdrawal symptoms. The patch provides continuous nicotine but you might still get cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Patch therapy is usually used for about three months and can cause skin irritation. Nicotine might also be converted tonitrosamino ketone (NNK), a known lung carcinogen, according to University of Minnesota Cancer Center in Minneapolis.
5. Poisonous for Your Pooch Too
Perhaps you've left enticing mint-smelling nicotine gum on the living room table where your cat can get it or let your dog chew on that cigarette butt in the park. If so, then you're putting your pet's life at risk. All it takes is 20 to 100 milligrams of nicotine to kill an animal. The average cigarette can contain up to 20 milligrams, with most of the nicotine collecting in the butt during smoking. Each piece of chewing gum contains up to four milligrams. Be careful with your nicotine, since it won't take much for your pet to get a deadly dose.
