About 62 million people in the United States ages 12 and older, or 29 percent of the population, are current cigarette smokers, according to the 1996
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. This makes nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco, one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the
United States.
Nicotine in the body...
When a person inhales cigarette smoke, the nicotine in the smoke is rapidly absorbed into the blood and starts affecting the brain within 7 seconds. In the
brain, nicotine activates the same reward system as do other drugs of abuse such as cocaine or amphetamine, although to a lesser degree. Nicotine's action
on this reward system is believed to be responsible for drug-induced feelings of pleasure and, over time, addiction. Nicotine also has the effect of
increasing alertness and enhancing mental performance. In the cardiovascular system, nicotine increases heart rate and blood pressure and restricts blood
flow to the heart muscle. The drug stimulates the release of the hormone epinephrine, which further stimulates the nervous system and is responsible for
part of the "kick" from nicotine. It also promotes the release of the hormone beta-endorphin, which inhibits pain.
People addicted to nicotine experience withdrawal when they stop smoking. This withdrawal involves symptoms such as anger, anxiety, depressed mood,
difficulty concentrating, increased appetite, and craving for nicotine. Most of these symptoms subside within 3 to 4 weeks, except for the craving and
hunger, which may persist for months.
For the reasons above, in the fourties and fifties dorctors were prescribing cigarettes to people to help calm their nerves, as well as depression.
Because of the effects that smoking had on the body, people felt calmer more relaxed and satisfied. After a number of years smoking became so popular
that people all over the world started lighting up, not aware of the horrible effects that it caused.
