Why Nicotine |
There's another drug in cigarettes, though, that helps nicotine take control. Scientists haven't figured out what it is yet, but it causes a decrease in the level of monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down dopamine. When that's decreased, then the level of dopamine stays higher, which means it craves more nicotine, which explains why smokers sometimes put out one cigarette, and within minutes are lighting up another one.
Because of this craving of the brain for more nicotine, it explains why, when it's taken away, people experience a high number of withdrawal symptoms. These can include: restless, anxiety, and tension; stress; irritability; anger; difficulty concentrating; excessive hunger; dizziness; headaches; sweating; difficulty sleeping; heart palpitations; and many more symptoms. All that, and one still wants cigarettes.
Nicotine has no odor or color, so it's not where the smell of cigarettes comes from. A study done by Harvard Medical School detailed the process of what happens when one takes a puff from a cigarette. Nicotine enters the body as tiny droplets resting on particles of tar in cigarette smoke. Once inhaled into the lungs, it passes into the bloodstream, reaching the brain within 10 second. In another 5 to 10 seconds, nicotine has spread to all parts of the body. Nicotine raises both blood pressure and one's heart rate, which makes smokers feel more alert and relaxed, but the feeling doesn't last.
It's because of the way people get addicted to nicotine that nicotine therapy came about. The idea was to replace the urge for smoking to get nicotine into the body by putting nicotine into the body in other ways, in an attempt to wean someone off nicotine eventually. Nicotine was actually the first pharmacological agent approved by the Food and Drug Administration in smoking cessation.
Many people have tried nicotine gum, which has smaller amounts of nicotine in it than what's produced in cigarettes. It was first approved in 1984 under the brand name Nicorette, and once it became an over the counter product in 1996, became is the top name in the nicotine gum business. Chewing gum overall is one of the top recommended behaviors recommended for smokers, with the intention of replacing one habit with another that's less intrusive on the body.
Success rates with nicotine gum have supposedly ranged from 50 to 76%, but there are some downsides. One is that people chew it like they chew regular gum, and that's not the way it's supposed to be used. It's meant to be chewed slowly, releasing small bits of nicotine over the course of 30 minutes, like a treatment rather than a treat.
Two, some people hate the taste, even though, over the years, companies have tried giving it many different flavors.
Three, there are some negative effects of nicotine gum inside the mouth for some people who are sensitive to it. A study reported in April 2009 that prolonged usage of nicotine gum seems to increase incidences of mouth cancer, which is an indication that nicotine might cause cancer, which had always been debated.
Four, some people actually get addicted to the gum. And five, some studies have indicated that as many as 50% of the population that uses only nicotine gum will go back to smoking within 8 months.
That's why other forms of nicotine therapy have been approved, such as patches, sprays, inhalers and lozenges. However, to get maximum benefit, some type of intervention is usually recommended, either with counseling, support groups, or trying to quit along with friends.
This is why it's just as important to never start smoking to begin with as it is to find ways to quit smoking. If you can't quit, it may not be your fault, but the sooner you start, the better chance you'll have to be able to stop.
© Smoke Not So Much 2009
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