Smoking Addiction

Addiction to smoking is one of the most wide spread and insidious of all the addictions. Smoking Addiction includes cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco.

What do these tobacco products have in common? Nicotine. An addiction to smoking and those products associated with it are made possible by nicotine, which is considered one of the most highly addictive substances in the world.

Nicotine functions by stimulating the nicotinic receptors in the brain increasing the release of various neurotransmitters in the brain. These neurotransmitters include including dopamine, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters not only create a false sense of pleasure for the body's nervous system, they also are a leading factor behind the strength of a smoking addiction.

Although quitting smoking is very hard due to the addictive power of nicotine and the social pressures of other smokers, it is possible. There are more and more programs available for quitting a smoking addiction. The faster one quits, the higher the chance of avoiding serious lung disease and death. There is an old proverb: If not now...when?