Hellow World

Nicotine is a toxin found in the tobacco plant, and its main function is to serve as deterrent in terms of insects wanting to eat the plant. Nicotine is said to be more lethal than arsenic, venoms of different snakes, strychnine, etc. Interestingly though, once nicotine reaches the reward pathways in the mind, a surge of dopamine is released, leading to the much spoken about ‘aah’ factor.

The most common method of nicotine finding its way into our bodies is through cigarette smoke. It is owing to the nicotine present in the cigarette that the act of smoking seems pleasurable. And nicotine is undoubtedly the biggest reason that the cigarette industry is growing at a steady pace. However, smoking counts as a major preventable cause of death/disease, and in addition causes a significant amount of premature deaths every year.

Tobacco smoke includes a plethora of chemicals, and nicotine is one of the primary ones. Can say for certain that smokeless tobacco contains nicotine as well. Nicotine dependency is considered to be between the hardest to break, and also whenever a smoker witnesses the damage that nicotine can cause first-hand, smoking can still be quite difficult to give up. While it is the nicotine that keeps a smoker returning for more, another constituents within cigarettes lead to a considerably higher rate of cancer, strokes, and heart & lung diseases in smokers. Nicotine dependency can also result in infertility, complications during pregnancy and also complications in a new baby baby’s health.

The Effects of Nicotine:

Not merely does nicotine work in the body releasing dopamine, it also activates the pathways that release adrenaline and serotonin, thereby impacting impulsivity and mood. Over a period the physical changes create a new ‘neuro chemical’ system which revolves entirely around the presence of nicotine within the system. At this stage, the individual is truly addicted. Attempts to avoid using nicotine at this time or later would almost definitely bring about withdrawal symptoms. The protective adjustments made by the brain would make sure that any attempt made to stop smoking would result in discomfort as the brain’s circuitry senses the lack of nicotine as an underlying cause for concern.

Statistics:

More than fifteen thousand Australians die because of smoking every year, and may be the largest ‘preventable’ cause of early death and disease. The percentage of individuals aged over 14 who smoke everyday in Australia went down considerably, from 30.5% in 1988 right down to 16.6% in 2007. Around the world, 10 % of the adult population smokes; and in america this figure stands at 20%. www.puffandpouch.com In the US alone around 440,000 people die each year because of tobacco related illnesses. Now, you can find around 1.3-1.4 billion smokers on the globe, with a large chunk living in developing countries. And given the ongoing trends, by 2020 tobacco would account for approximately 10 million deaths every year.

Facts about Nicotine Dependency:

Nicotine is poisonous, and the reason that reason a smoker does not immediately die is due to the minuscule quantities of nicotine present in each cigarette.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and nicotine dependency is often weighed against heroin and cocaine dependency with regards to difficulty to quit.
Relapses are very common in efforts to quit smoking.
Aside from nicotine, cigarettes have over 4,000 different chemicals; many of which are carcinogenic (cancer causing substances).
Smoking for about 15 years, at about 20 cigarettes each day, should bring about about one kg of tar in a smoker’s lungs.
A regular smoker’s life expectancy would decrease by around 7 to 8 years (at about 7 to 8 minutes per cigarette).
Each month, tobacco companies in Australia lose around 12,000 customers. While around 10,000 manage to quit, the majority of the others are ones who have passed away because of smoking related illnesses.
Data collected from the ‘Australian Institute of Health insurance and Welfare’ shows that almost 80% of the smokers have tried quitting at least once, and in the last year more than 30% have tried stopping.
The Alternatives – Quitting Help:

Nicotine Free Cigarettes:

Nicotine free cigarettes are ones that not contain any tobacco or nicotine. One can find a number of brands in terms of these nicotine free cigarettes, and these cigarettes use various herbs/plants as a base. These cigarettes are often used as substitutes to smoking conventional cigarettes, and a number of people utilize them as nicotine cessation aids. However, owing to the various compounds present in these cigarettes, smoking them isn’t entirely safe, with research showing that they too can be carcinogenic.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy:

Nicotine replacement therapy refers to a smoker quitting smoking but using a different medium to get his/her quota of nicotine supply. Different NRT aids include nicotine gums, patches, lozenges, inhalers, and nasal sprays. The usage of NRT aids is said to increase the chances of quitting by around 50%, however in order to succeed, additional support that’s provided to the individual by means of counselling, etc. also play an important role. When a person stops smoking, these aids continue steadily to supply him/her with the nicotine that’s needed is to help keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay, and the intake of nicotine through this route is regulated and gradually reduced. Using nicotine replacement therapy to quit smoking is normally is 8 to 12 week long exercise.

Even though a growing number of smokers continue steadily to battle their nicotine dependency, increasing numbers of people continue to smoke their first cigarette. The sensation of euphoria that is often associated with smoking is a result of the nicotine present therein, and this is what keeps the smoker coming back for more. The good thing is that awareness in the general public is increasing, and help to battle nicotine dependency is available in various forms. If you desire to fight nicotine dependency and believe that it is an uphill battle, at the very least take heart in realizing that there’s plenty of help that you could avail of.