Are You A Smoke-a-holic?

Some might argue that a smoke-a-holic is merely a little euphemism that shouldn’t be compared with what they believe to be degrading syndromes. Contrary to this thought, nicotine addiction may equally be as deadly and strong as any of these additional conditions. As a matter of fact, if you quantify the amount of individuals who die an on annual basis of all these additional conditions combined, they wouldn’t total the amount of premature fatalities caused by cigarette smoking.

Is nicotine physically addictive?
Poker-Face-41416015The concept of nicotine being physiologically addictive, until recent times, was controversial within the global medical community. For something to be considered addictive, it has to meet specific criteria. Firstly, it has to be able to trigger physical withdrawal upon cessation. Nicotine abstinence syndrome includes an established, well-documented fact.

Nicotine Tolerance Develops
Secondly, tolerance to the drug typically develops. Higher doses become required to accomplish the same effects. Smokers will experience this tolerance as their cigarette intake slowly increases from what potentially was occasional use to a day-to-day intake of multiple packs.

Nicotine Becomes Consuming Need
The final criterion is that an addictive substance will become totally consuming to its user, typically causing what’s considered by society as anti-social behavior. Most have argued that smoking does not fulfill this requirement. Absolutely, many smokers don’t resort to anti-social behavior to sustain their dependency, yet this is due to most smokers managing to easily get the complete complement of cigarettes needed to satisfy their addiction. As smokers are deprived of accessibility to cigarettes, the circumstances are very different.

Cigarettes for Trading Purposes
In German concentration camps, during World War II, prisoners weren’t provided an adequate amount of food to fulfill minimal nutritional requirements. They literally were being starved to death. One typical practice amongst prisoners who smoked was to trade their scarce food supplies for cigarettes. Even these days, within underdeveloped countries like Bangladesh, parents who have starving kids trade critical food for cigarettes. It isn’t normal behavior.

DID YOU KNOW?

Nicotine is the main drug in all forms of tobacco. Nicotine is one of the most heavily used and most addictive drugs in the U.S.

Smokers Become Desperate
In some ‘stop smoking clinics’ being conducted, a number of attendees confess to going through garbage cans, ashtrays, and even gutters to search for cigarette butts that still may have salvageable value of a couple of puffs as their own supplies become depleted because of unforeseen circumstances or carelessness. To them, it’s sick to believe they ever performed these types of grotesque actions, yet the majority recognize that if they were presently smoking and once again caught in a similar situation, they might be completely able to repeat the repulsive incident.

Nicotine is addictive. It is a drug. If you allow it to go on for too long, it may be a killer. Think about this as you have an urge to smoke. A single puff can and will most often reinforce an addiction. Do not take this chance. Promise yourself that you will never take another puff.

Have you suffered with nicotine withdrawal? What did you do to ease it? Share your experience!

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

One Response

Comments are closed.

Related Posts

ADHD IS REAL

“…what does it mean? what is it exactly? Is it real? … like if someone has ADHD is not like you have herpes, like you