Does Smoking Really Kills?

Does Smoking Really Kills?

How nicotine works

Nicotine is the main addictive drug among the 4,000 compounds found in tobacco smoke. Such other substances in smoke as tar and carbon monoxide present documented health hazards, but they are not addictive and do not cause cravings or withdrawal symptoms to the extent that nicotine does.

Nicotine is both a stimulant and a sedative. It is a psychoactive drug, meaning that it works in the brain, alters brain chemistry, and changes mood. Once tobacco smoke is inhaled, nicotine passes rapidly through the linings of the lungs and into the blood. It quickly circulates to the brain where it indirectly increases the supply of dopamine, a chemical in the brain that affects mood. Dopamine is normally released in response to pleasurable sensations. Nicotine, like cocaine or heroin, artificially stimulates the release of dopamine. This release accounts for the pleasurable sensation that most smokers feel almost as soon as they light up a cigarette. Nicotine also decreases anger and increases the efficiency of a person's performance on long, dull tasks.

At the same time nicotine is affecting the brain, it also stimulates the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are small, pea-sized pieces of tissue located above each kidney. They produce several hormones, one of which is epinephrine, also called adrenaline. Under normal circumstances, adrenaline is released in response to stressor a perceived threat. It is sometimes called the "fight or flight" hormone, because it prepares the body for action. When adrenaline is released,blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow, and oxygen use increase. Glucose, a simple form of sugar used by the body, floods the body to provide extra energy to muscles. The overall effect of the release of these hormones is strain on the cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels) system. Stressed this way many times a day for many years, the body responds by increasing the buildup of plaque, a sticky substance, in the blood vessels. These deposits of plaque significantly increase a person's risk of strokeor heart attack.

Nicotine dependence

In addition to the physical dependence caused by the actions of nicotine on the brain, there is a strong psychological component to the dependency of most users of tobacco products, especially cigarette smokers. Most people who start smoking or using smokeless tobaccoproducts do so because of social factors. These include:

·         the desire to fit in with peers

·         acceptance by family members who use tobacco

·         rebelliousness

·         the association of tobacco products with maturity and sophistication

·         positive response to tobacco advertising

Such personal factors as mental illness (depression, anxiety,schizophrenia, or alcoholism); the need to reduce stress and anxiety; or a desire to avoid weight gain also influence people to start smoking. Once smoking has become a habit, whether physical addictionoccurs or not, psychological factors play a significant role in continuing to smoke. People who want to stop smoking may be discouraged from doing so because:

·         They live or work with people who smoke and who are not supportive of their quitting.

·         They believe they are incapable of quitting.

·         They perceive no health benefits to quitting.

·         They have tried to quit before and failed.

·         They associate cigarettes with specific pleasurable activities or social situations that they are not willing to give up.

·         They fear gaining weight. Successful smoking cessation programs must treat both the physical and psychological aspects of nicotine addiction.

Nicotine withdrawal

The American Psychiatric Association first recognized nicotine dependence and nicotine withdrawal as serious psychological problems in 1980. Today nicotine is considered an addictive drug, although a common and legalized one.

Studies show that three-quarters of smokers try to quit, but only about 5–10% are eventually successful. Even those who succeed often make between five and ten attempts to quit before finally succeeding. Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal occur in about half the smokers tryingto quit who do not use nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches, inhalers, or gum).

As former smokers can attest, the combination of physiological and psychological factors make withdrawal from nicotine very difficult. Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include:

·         irritability

·         restlessness

·         increased anger or frustration

·         sleep disturbances

·         inability to concentrate

·         increased appetite or desire for sweets

·         depression

·         anxiety

·         constant thoughts about smoking

·         cravings for cigarettes

·         decreased heart rate

·         coughing

Withdrawal symptoms are usually more pronounced in smokers than in those who use smokeless tobacco products, and heavy smokers tend to have more symptoms than light smokers when they try to stop smoking. People with depression, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or mood disorders find it especially difficult to quit, as nicotine offers temporary relief for some of the symptoms of these disorders.

Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal begin rapidly and peak within one to three days. Because of this rapid onset of withdrawal symptoms, only about 30% of people who try to quit smoking remain tobacco-free for even two days. Withdrawal symptoms generally last three to four weeks, but a significant number of smokers have withdrawal symptoms lasting longer than one month. Some people have strong cravings for tobacco that last for months, even though the physical addiction to nicotine is gone. These cravings often occur in social settings in which the person formerly smoked, such as at a bar or party, or after sex. Researchers believe that much of this extended craving is psychological

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