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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 reported 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, resulting in the much discussed ‘aah’ factor.

The most common means of nicotine finding its way into our bodies is through tobacco smoke. It is due to the nicotine present in the cigarette that the act of smoking seems pleasurable. And nicotine is undoubtedly the prevailing concern that that the cigarette industry is growing at a reliable pace. However, smoking counts as a significant preventable reason behind death/disease, and in addition causes a significant amount of premature deaths each 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 could cause first-hand, smoking can be quite difficult to quit. While it is the nicotine that keeps a smoker coming back for more, the other constituents present in cigarettes lead to a considerably higher rate of cancer, strokes, and heart & lung diseases in smokers. Nicotine dependency may also lead to infertility, complications during pregnancy in addition to complications in a newborn baby’s health.

THE CONSEQUENCES of Nicotine:

Not merely does nicotine work in the torso releasing dopamine, it also activates the pathways that release adrenaline and serotonin, thereby impacting impulsivity and mood. Over a period of time the physical changes build 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 stop using nicotine at this time or later would almost definitely bring about withdrawal symptoms. The protective adjustments created by the brain would make sure that any attempt designed to stop smoking would bring about discomfort because the brain’s circuitry senses the lack of nicotine as an underlying cause for concern.

Statistics:

More than fifteen thousand Australians die due to smoking each year, and is the largest ‘preventable’ reason behind early death and disease. The percentage of people aged over 14 who smoke everyday in Australia has gone down considerably, from 30.5% in 1988 down to 16.6% in 2007. Around the world, ten percent of the adult population smokes; and in america this figure stands at 20%. In america alone around 440,000 people die every year due to tobacco related illnesses. Now, you can find around 1.3-1.4 billion smokers on earth, with a large chunk surviving in developing countries. And given the ongoing trends, by 2020 tobacco would take into account approximately 10 million deaths each year.

Facts about Nicotine Dependency:

Nicotine is poisonous, and the reason that reason a smoker does not immediately die is due to the minuscule levels of nicotine present in each cigarette.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and nicotine dependency is frequently 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 per day, should result in about one kg of tar in a smoker’s lungs.
A regular smoker’s life span would go down 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, a lot of the others are ones who’ve passed away because of smoking related illnesses.
Data collected from the ‘Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’ implies that almost 80% of the smokers have tried quitting at least one time, and in the last year a lot more than 30% have tried stopping.
The Alternatives – Quitting Help:

Nicotine Free Cigarettes:

Nicotine free cigarettes are ones that do not contain any tobacco or nicotine. One can find many 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 numerous people utilize them as nicotine cessation aids. However, due to the various compounds present in these cigarettes, smoking them isn’t entirely safe, with research showing that they too could be carcinogenic.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy:

Nicotine replacement therapy refers to a smoker quitting smoking but utilizing a different medium to obtain his/her quota of nicotine supply. Different NRT aids include nicotine gums, patches, lozenges, inhalers, and nasal sprays. Using NRT aids is said to increase the likelihood of quitting by around 50%, however in order to achieve success, additional support that’s provided to the individual by means of counselling, etc. also play a significant role. When a person stops smoking, these aids continue steadily to supply him/her with the nicotine that is required to keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay, and the intake of nicotine through this route is regulated and gradually reduced. The application of nicotine replacement therapy to give up smoking is generally is 8 to 12 week long exercise.

Nikotiinipussit Even though an increasing number of smokers continue steadily to battle their nicotine dependency, increasing numbers of people continue steadily to smoke their first cigarette. The feeling of euphoria that’s often associated with smoking is because the nicotine present therein, and this is what keeps the smoker returning for more. Fortunately that awareness in everyone is on the rise, and help battle nicotine dependency comes in various forms. If you desire to fight nicotine dependency and feel that it is an uphill battle, at the very least take heart in knowing that there’s a lot of help that you could avail of.