subject: Smoking - Why Is It So Addictive? [print this page] Have you ever wondered, as you light up, what, exactly, is happening to make you so dependent on tobacco? Have you ever vowed to quit smoking only to fall back into the old habit within a very short time? Have you ever been warned by a health care professional that you must stop smoking or risk the consequences to your health and well being?
Those questions could be answered by millions of people trapped by the addiction to tobacco. But wouldn't it help to know exactly how one is ensnared, sometimes for life, by a weed?
Each puff a smoker takes starts an immediate delivery of nicotine to the brain, thus giving the smoker good control over the 'fix' he or she requires. After the first inhalation it is easy to want more, and even easier to give oneself more.
Inhaling sends the nicotine directly to the lung beds, allowing the drug to reach the brain directly, without becoming part of the general circulation of the blood. Once in the brain, nicotine stimulates receptors which cause the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. This substance gives a sense of pleasure to the smoker, thus starting the addiction process rolling.
Nicotine also controls many other brain molecules that have to do with memory, mood and energy levels. When the smoker decides to kick the habit, it is usually too late. By that time nicotine has made definite inroads on brain function. Withdrawal symptoms appear immediately, and even with the most sincere intentions to quit the habit, most smokers find it to be an impossible task.
These withdrawal symptoms can have long-lasting neurological effects, often causing the return of the craving for tobacco when someone lights up in the presence of the person trying to quit. Hint: stay away from smokers when you are trying to kick the habit!
There are other factors, however, which come into play when trying to escape the lure of tobacco. Genetic factors are thought to play a large part in who might become addicted. If there is a certain gene present, perhaps that individual might become more susceptible to the dopamine factor. There is still much research to be done in determining who is at risk, but everyone should be considered a prime candidate.
The best advice on how to quit smoking is obvious: don't start. But for the millions afflicted with this expensive, health-wrecking habit, it is not that easy. Even months after quitting, the never-ending cravings often entice the smoker back to experience the original pleasurable sensations that smoking gives. This is an addiction that is one of the most difficult to halt, and one can readily see why.
