Smoking is widely considered to be a health risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 433,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related causes. Heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and reproductive problems have all been linked to tobacco use. With those kinds of problems, it's important to understand the effects of tobacco in the human body.
About Nicotine
Nicotine, the primary component of tobacco, is addictive. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that nicotine, like addictive drugs such as heroin and cocaine, not only increases the level of dopamine --- a neurotransmitter which makes you feel good --- it produces lasting changes in the brain that can lead to addiction. With repeated exposure to the nicotine, the body adapts, and going without cigarettes or other favorite tobacco sources can produce irritability, anxiety and increased eating. Addiction is more likely in some people because of genetics, which involves a nicotinic receptor that not only doubles the risk of addiction but increases the chance a person will develop lung cancer or peripheral artery disease.
Nicotine and Metabolism
Nicotine is primarily metabolized in the liver. Your overall metabolic rate may determine how frequently you feel the urge to smoke --- men, for example, who usually have faster metabolic rates than women, tend to have the urge to smoke more often, according to research reported by Karen Ahijevych, Ph.D., RN, of The Ohio State University College of Nursing. The faster the nicotine is cleared out of your system, the sooner your body's nicotine level will drop, which makes you crave a cigarette. Eating also affects nicotine metabolism, which may contribute to the urge to smoke after meals.
Ethnicity and Metabolism
Your ethnic heritage can also make a difference. Ahijevych reports on several studies that showed nicotine clearance systems were higher in Caucasian smokers, again increasing the urge to smoke more frequently. But a study done at the University of San Francisco and reported in the January 2002 issue of the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" noted that Chinese-Americans cleared nicotine more slowly, and as a result, tended to smoke less than Caucasians or Latinos.
Considerations and Warnings
Smoking has serious negative health consequences, and not just for you. Secondhand smoke can be detrimental to those around you as well. If you are a smoker, it would be a good idea to quit, but it's not going to be easy to stop, because it is an addiction. While there are self-help strategies, it can also be helpful to discuss the situation with a health care professional.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Smoking and Tobacco Use; Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking; March 2011
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Tobacco and Nicotine Research
- Teenage Smoking; Laboratory Research; Nicotine Metabolism Variability and Nicotine Addiction; Karen Ahijevych
- "Journal of the National Cancer Institute"; Slower Metabolism and Reduced Intake of Nicotine From Cigarette Smoking in Chinese-Americans; N.L. Benowitz; January 2002
- "Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics"; Clinical Pharmacology of Nicotine: Implications for Understanding, Preventing and Treating Tobacco Addiction; N. L. Benowitz; April 2008
- "American Journal of Medicine"; Neurobiology of Nicotine Addiction: Implications for Smoking Cessation Treatment; N. L. Benowitz; April 2008
