SMOKING / RESEARCH REVIEW

The Report is based on a 6-month examination of the research literature, and has been reviewed by leading experts in the field.

FINDINGS

·      Nicotine, inhaled in smoking or ingested as snuff or chewing tobacco, is addictive.

·      This addiction resembles the pattern of opium-based drugs such as heroin.

·      There are several similarities between tobacco and opium (heroin) use:

à      Both create physiological dependence.

à      Cessation of both causes withdrawal symptoms.

à      The use of both substances leads to tolerance and increased need.

à      Relapse rates among those who quit are the same for both drugs—70% in the first 3 months, 75% by the end of first year.

à      Both drugs are psychoactive, producing mood changes.

à      Both substances serve as reinforcers.  For example, nicotine’s effect on the central nervous system, the touch and feel of a cigarette, and the smell of smoke all reinforce drug-seeking behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Department of Health and Human Services encapsulates the findings:

In sum, nicotine has a profile of behavioral and physiologic effects typical of other drugs of abuse and, like the heroin derived from opium, meets rigorous experimental criteria as a drug with considerable potential to cause dependence...Surveys indicate that 90% of smokers would like to quit, but only a small minority succeed because of the difficulty of overcoming dependence on nicotine.

Likewise, 70% of junior and senior high school users of smokeless tobacco say that they have tried to quit, often many times, yet most fail and cite ‘addiction’ or ‘craving’ as the main reason why they cannot kick the habit.

IMPLICATIONS

1.     Suits against tobacco companies may significantly battle nicotine addiction.  Reports such as this may help change the legal perspective in such claims.

2.     Very few young people or adults know the facts contained in this Report.  Such evidence will help many young people make life-improving decisions.

3.     Self-image, peer influence, and lifestyle are important factors in choosing to be free from, or enslaved to, a chemical substance.

4.     Adult friends and youth groups can affect the important decisions of young people.