How Bad Is Addiction
Nicotine addiction is dangerous because it increases the risk that a person can be a lifelong tobacco user. Young people are especially susceptible to nicotine addiction because their brains are still developing. Nicotine can rewire the brain to become addicted to other drugs.
Cigarettes are especially dangerous because they contain thousands of harmful chemicals. These chemicals can harm every organ in the body and many increase cancer risk.
Some studies claim e-cigarettes are more addictive, while others say they are less addictive. But e-cigarettes have the ability to deliver nicotine faster and in greater amounts to the brain. For example, high voltage e-cigarettes can heat the vape juice at higher temperatures, causing a greater hit of nicotine.
Nicotine addiction leads to more tobacco use, which can cause more health problems.
Complications of smoking include:
- Pregnancy complications
Easy Access To Heroin Enables Use
Prescription opioids are more expensive and harder to access than heroin. Many people who become addicted to prescription opioids switch to heroin because its cheaper and easier to find on the street, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
About 80 percent of people who are addicted to heroin started by taking prescription opioid pills. Dr. Stephen Mudra, Chief, Primary Pain Management, North Florida/South Georgia Veteran Health System
For example, heroin usually costs between $5 and $10, but one OxyContin tablet can cost about $80 on the street.
Heroin availability has drastically increased in the past decade, according to the 2017 Drug Enforcement Administration National Drug Threat Assessment. The drugs availability also keeps the cost down.
How Addictive Is Heroin
Its difficult to measure or compare types of drug addiction. In a 2007 study published in the Lancet, a survey of doctors and psychiatrists concluded that heroin was the most addictive drug because of its effects on pleasure, psychological dependence and physical dependence. It also had the highest risk of physical harm and social harm.
Physical dependence refers to changes in the brain that cause increased tolerance to the drug and trigger withdrawal symptoms when the drug isnt present.
Psychological dependence refers to changes in motivation, self-control and judgment that make a person crave heroin. People who are addicted to heroin will do almost anything to obtain the drug because their brains arent properly weighing the consequences of their actions.
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How Addictive Is Vaping Really
Doctors, psychologists, and other health professionals always recommend treating addiction with a multifaceted approach, but no one can argue with the fact that nicotine is addictive. So addictive, in fact, that the National Institutes of Health call it as addictive heroin and cocaine.
When a person inhales nicotine, it gets absorbed into the blood and starts affecting the brain in just 10 seconds. Nicotine disrupts the normal relationship between a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine and the receptors that acetylcholine attaches to. Without that interruption, ACh plays an important role in muscle contraction, memory, cognition and more.
When nicotine attaches to ACh receptors in place of ACh, it triggers a number of chemical reactions that result in temporary feel-good sensations. Those sensations include relaxation, alertness or focus, calmness and euphoria. But those sensations are short-lived, usually subsiding within minutes, because your body removes the substance so quickly — just two hours after ingesting nicotine, about half will already be gone.
No matter how you inhale nicotine — regular cigarette or e-cigarette — it’s still an addictive substance.
Nicotine’s pleasurable effects combined with its short half-life leave people feeling like they need another dose soon after the first one. This results in a vicious cycle of addiction.
Read more:FDA investigating 120-plus reports of seizures after vaping | A timeline of vape-related deaths and illnesses
How Nicotine Causes Addiction
Nicotine causes addiction by causing chemical changes in the brain. Using nicotine-containing products, including smoking cigarettes or vaping, causes the release of a chemical in the brain called dopamine.
Dopamine trains people to act a certain way by reinforcing certain behaviors. It does this by rewarding a person with a pleasurable sensation. This is called reinforcement. Each time a person takes a puff on a cigarette or vapes, they get a dopamine hit. This causes them to use nicotine-containing products over and over.
- Related
- Taking work breaks
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Why Quitting Smoking Is Hard
- Nicotine is the main addictive drug in tobacco that makes quitting so hard. Cigarettes are designed to rapidly deliver nicotine to your brain.
- Inside your brain, nicotinetriggers the release of chemicals that make you feel good. As nicotine stimulates parts of your brain over and over, your brain gets used to having nicotine around.
- Over time, nicotine changes how your brain works and makes it seem like you need nicotine just to feel okay.
- When you stop smoking,your brain gets irritable. As a result, you might get anxious or upset. You might have a hard time concentrating or sleeping, have strong urges to smoke, or just feel generally uncomfortable.
- These feelings are called withdrawal. This gets better a few weeks after quitting as your brain gets used to not having nicotine around.
- Some quit-smoking medicines contain nicotine. This gives you a safe way to get used to not having so much nicotine from cigarettes in your brain.
To quit successfully, you have to deal with both of these challenges: your brain not having nicotine, and not having cigarettes during your daily routines. It can be hard to deal with both at once:
How Can I Stop Using Nicotine
If you have tried to quit using tobacco before, dont get down about it. Kicking a nicotine habit is one of the hardest things to do. Luckily, there are many products and therapies that can help you.
A variety of Nicotine Replacement Therapy products, in the form of gums, patches, lozenges and sprays, can replace the nicotine that smokers crave. These products can also get rid of the physical withdrawal symptoms most people have when they try to quit.
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Ways To Get In Contact With Us
If you believe you or someone you love may be struggling with addiction, let us hear your story and help you determine a path to treatment.
There are a variety of confidential, free, and no obligation ways to get in contact with us to learn more about treatment.
Why Vaping Is So Addictive According To Doctors
Its more than nicotine that keeps you coming back for more.
Scientists don’t have as much data on e-cigarettes as they do on conventional cigarettes, but there’s reason to believe many of the same health risks apply.
As the use of traditional cigarettes slows down — 14% of American adults smoke cigarettes, down from 20.9% in 2005 — another form of nicotine delivery rises. E-cigarettes — which were once praised as the healthier alternative to cigarettes when they first appeared on the market back in the early 2000s — may not be a stepping stone to quitting for good like many people once thought.
Health professionals and public officials have started voicing concern over nicotine vaporizers like the Juul for many of the same health risks that conventional cigarettes pose: lung damage, brain alterations, heart disease, and more.
It’s true that e-cigarettes don’t contain many of the chemicals and substances found in traditional cigarettes , but they still contain the extremely addictive substance nicotine, which is difficult to quit no matter the vessel. Even Juul’s own CEO recognizes the risk of addiction: In a recent interview with CBS This Morning, he said “don’t vape” if you don’t have a preexisting relationship with nicotine.
Read more: Juul sued for marketing to minors | FDA calls out Juul for marketing vapes as safer than cigarettes | A timeline of vaping deaths and illnesses
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Heroin Changes Brain Chemistry
When a person uses heroin, the drug enters the blood stream and goes straight to the brain. Heroin affects the parts of the brain in charge of pleasure, depression, anxiety and sedation. Thats why people who use heroin feel happy and relaxed. They also stop feeling depressed or anxious.
The memory and motivation systems in the brain remember that heroin caused happiness, and they associate heroin with positive experiences. Memories of the positive experiences grow stronger each time a person uses heroin, and the brain becomes increasingly motivated to use the drug.
With prolonged use, heroin starts to disrupt parts of the brain in charge of self-control and judgment. Heroin addiction occurs because the brain is tricked into thinking the drug causes positive experiences. The brain issues cravings for the drug, and the parts of the brain in charge of self-control arent strong enough to overcome the cravings.
Who Is At Risk
Anyone who uses tobacco is at risk of developing an addiction. The best way to prevent an addiction is to avoid tobacco.
Some factors may increase the risk of addiction. For example, people with a family history of nicotine addiction and people who grow up in homes with tobacco users are more likely to start smoking and develop an addiction.
Also, people who start smoking when they are young are more likely to smoke into adulthood. One study notes that 80% of smokers began smoking by age 18 years. Starting smoking young tends to increase dependence later on in life. Its less common for adults to start smoking or develop an addiction, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
People who abuse alcohol or drugs or who have a mental illness also have an increased risk of nicotine dependence.
Signs of nicotine addiction include:
- an inability to stop using tobacco products
- withdrawal symptoms when nicotine use stops
- a desire to keep smoking even when health complications arise
- continued use of tobacco products even if it negatively impacts your life
To diagnose a nicotine addiction, your doctor will discuss your current usage and health history. He or she will determine the degree of your dependence and suggest treatment options.
People who want to seek treatment for addiction will need to commit to stopping.
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What Does Smoking Do To Your Body
Cigarettes and tobacco are dangerous to your health, no matter how good they may feel when youre smoking. There can be long-term effects as well as immediate effects on your body, increasing the risk of health problems over the years.
Central Nervous System
Nicotine affects many of your bodys systems, including your nervous system. It will reach the brain in seconds to make you feel more energized until it wears off, leaving you tired and craving more. You may also experience headaches and anxiety as well.
Respiratory System
The lungs are one of the main organs that becomes damaged. Theres not only an increased risk of infection, but a higher risk for nonreversible conditions like:
- Emphysema, which destroys air sacs in the lungs
- Chronic bronchitis, which causes permanent inflammation in the lining of the breathing tubes
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Lung cancer
Only after you quit smoking will those damaged airways begin to heal. Even then, they will still need considerable time to recover.
Cardiovascular System
Your blood vessels will tighten under the influence of tobacco, restricting the flow of blood. Over time, this can cause peripheral artery disease, raise blood pressure, and increase blood clots. This will raise your risk of stroke much higher than normal.
Integumentary System
Digestive System
Reproductive System
Cruise Through Quitting Nicotine
While quitting may be a challenge, you can cruise through and rise above it. Just keep your willpower to get over the substance. After all, the withdrawal symptoms will only last a few weeks at the most.
Remember that the biggest roadblock is your commitment to quit. Yes, it will be all about your mind.
Avoid areas where there are smokers, so you do not tempt yourself. Keep healthy snacks on hand so you eat something beneficial for your body when cravings set in. Try a new hobby or physical activity to keep you from feeling anxious or depressed. It will also help to surround yourself with people who support your endeavor.
Want more information about how Chapters Capistrano can help? Feel free to call 949-276-2886 and one of our addiction specialists will help get the information and help you need.
Medical disclaimer:
Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.
Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site. The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals.
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The Science Of Nicotine Addiction
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The news made headlines in 2006: Smokers today get more nicotine from inhaling cigarette smoke than they did in 1998. The news is alarming because nicotine is the chemical in cigarette smoke that causes addiction to tobacco. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported its discovery that the nicotine yield in cigarettesmeaning the amount of nicotine a smoker gets from a cigarettehad increased steadily between 1998 and 2004. The DPH used information provided by tobacco companies themselves.
One deadly consequence of more nicotine yield in cigarettes is that the average smoker will find it harder to quit. Not only is there more nicotine in cigarettes, but nicotine itself is a powerfully addictive drug. In the words of a NIDA-funded researcher, Dr. Daniel McGehee: “It would be difficult to design a better drug to promote addiction.”
Why Nicotine Is So Addictive In investigating the addictive power of nicotine, NIDA-funded researchers at the University of Chicago found that nicotine’s effect on the brain is doubly dangerous. It directly stimulates the feelings of pleasure and indirectly keeps those pleasurable feelings going strong.
To explain why dopamine levels remain high after direct nicotine stimulus ends, researchers looked at two other neurotransmitters in the brain, glutamate and GABA. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that speeds up the activity of neurons. GABA is a neurotransmitter that slows down neuron activity.
Are There Other Chemicals That May Contribute To Tobacco Addiction
Research is showing that nicotine may not be the only ingredient in tobacco that affects its addictive potential.
Smoking is linked with a marked decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase , an important enzyme that is responsible for the breakdown of dopamine, as well as a reduction in MAO binding sites in the brain.42 This change is likely caused by some as-yet-unidentified ingredient in tobacco smoke other than nicotine, because we know that nicotine itself does not dramatically alter MAO levels.Animal research suggests that MAO inhibition makes nicotine more reinforcing, but more studies are needed to determine whether MAO inhibition affects human tobacco dependence.42
Animal research has also shown that acetaldehyde, another chemical in tobacco smoke created by the burning of sugars added as sweeteners, dramatically increases the reinforcing properties of nicotine and may also contribute to tobacco addiction.43
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How Can I Quit Smoking
First, congratulate yourself. Just reading this article is a big step toward becoming tobacco-free.
Many people don’t quit smoking because they think it’s too hard, and it’s true that for most people quitting isn’t easy. After all, the nicotine in cigarettes is a powerfully addictive drug. But with the right approach, you can overcome the cravings.
How Long Does It Take To Quit Smoking
Its quite hard to quit smoking because of the nicotine. However, it certainly is possible. The first few days after stopping will be incredibly difficult, and will require a lot of willpower on your part to overcome those withdrawal symptoms.
Its not until 3-5 days after stopping that you will start to feel the cravings stop, but it still takes around 2-4 weeks to break the habit completely. After the first month, youll find that many symptoms are now gone and its much easier for you to get back on track with your life.
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Vaping More Addictive Than Smoking But Why
How addictive is nicotine in vapes, and is vaping more addictive than smoking? The answer is likely yes. So just how addictive is vaping, and why is that the case? One reason is that many vape device liquids contain flavoring in addition to nicotine. These flavorings are more palatable and dont come with the burning sensation or the taste of cigarettes, making people more likely to vape more frequently. Over time, this means increased exposure to nicotine.
- Ease of Use
Vape devices like the Juul are very easy to use, which may be another reason its more addictive for some people. These devices are tiny and highly portable, plus you dont have to worry about carrying a lighter or matches.
According to doctors, one Juul pod is equivalent to 20 cigarettes, or one full pack. Using a Juul pod is much easier than taking out a cigarette, getting a lighter, and lighting a cigarette. Because vaping doesnt have the bad smells associated with cigarettes, people can smoke them in more areas, further decreasing traditional barriers to nicotine use.
- Method of Use
Some types of vaping devices can deliver more nicotine than traditional cigarettes, which is another reason they may be more addictive.
A Vaping Addiction Is About More Than The Nicotine
Nicotine is addictive, yes. But there are other reasons why people become addicted to e-cigarettes, reasons that have to do with a person’s environment, social and family settings, mental health, coping mechanisms, and other factors.
“Cravings are both mental and physical,” Dr. Kevin Gilliland, Psy.D., executive director of Innovation360, wrote to CNET. He explains that we physically feel the desire to get nicotine and that, “Our brains are connecting the dots by seeing something and expecting a response . It’s what we call a habit.”
It all depends on what environments, people and physical actions and items a person has associated with e-cigarettes, but the end result is always the same, says Gilliland. Put yourself in a habitual situation, and you’ll crave the missing part of that situation. In this case, the missing piece is an e-cigarette.
Aside from actual physical settings, emotions are a huge driver in addiction . For example, if you associate ice cream with happiness and comfort, there’s a good chance you’ll use ice cream as a way to feel better when you’re down. The more you do that, the more you depend on ice cream to help your body release feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin.
The same concept goes for e-cigarettes. If e-cigarettes make you feel better when you feel sad, stressed or otherwise emotionally uncomfortable, and you use e-cigarettes as a coping mechanism, you’ll begin to turn to your e-cigarette whenever you feel those uncomfortable emotions.
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