How Addiction to Nicotine Works

by Angelina Petterson

Addiction to nicotine is the reason behind 45 million smokers in the United States and 350 million in China the biggest cigarette marker on the planet. It is also the reason behind a global death rate of 5 million people per year.

Nicotine is discharged through smoking tobacco or smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco. When a person smokes or chews tobacco, nicotine enters the blood stream and rushes to the brain which it reaches within 15 seconds of a puff. When in the blood the nicotine drug operates as molecule. It quickly switches to its metabolite cotinine as it stays longer in the body system.

Once in the brain nicotine attaches itself to receptors which it triggers to release dopamine a neurotransmitter that is responsible for a pleasurable smoking experience.This process when repeated drives the brain to a point of dependency. This is how nicotine dependency is achieved.

Once the brain is addicted it becomes extremely difficult to wean it off this dependency. Any attempt to cease supplying regular nicotine doses will result in often severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms. This would include shivering, headaches and nausea amongst many others.

Individuals addicted to nicotine find it very difficult to function without constantly supplying their system with the drug. This is the reason behind smokers requiring to smoke every 45 minutes to an hour. The number of cigarettes one smokes a day and the length of time they have been smoking in terms of months and years also plays a part in the whole matrix of addiction to nicotine.

To be addicted to nicotine an individual would not need anything more than sustained enough levels of nicotine. For this reason a significant number of people have reported nicotine chewing gum addiction running into years.

Nicotine addiction appears to also depend on the maturity of the brain receiving it. Teenage tobacco users seem to easily get addicted to nicotine than adults due to their maturing brains. Often this leads to teenage brain damage. Research has shown that most adult smokers started smoking earlier on in their teens years.

Addiction to nicotine is very difficult to reverse. New advanced medical solutions such as the smoking vaccine aim to help nicotine addicts by standing in the way of nicotine molecule transportation to an expectant brain. This way smoking will become a waste of time that produces no pleasure.

Medical research done so far indicate unprecedented effectiveness of nicotine vaccines.

Quitting smoking is admittedly hard yet it can be done. Studies show that following a stop smoking program and using stop smoking aids doubles success rates in most people. If you are deciding on stopping smoking you will require adequate information as well as good tools to help you succeed. Whilst we understand that not all tools are meant for everyone we found this LifeSign QuitKey Smoking Cessation Computer handy. It works like a quit smoking program which alters your smoking routine easing you off cigarettes gradually. Please take your time to check if this is for you.

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