Download What Causes Nicotine Addiction?

What Causes Nicotine Addiction?
of a neurotransmitter (a chemical
messenger) called dopamine (sometimes
referred to as the pleasure molecule) in an
area of the brain called the nucleus
accumbens, which is an important part of the
brain’s reward system, where feelings of
pleasure and reward are produced. This part
of the brain is the primary target of most
drugs of abuse.
Brain signals
When smoked, nicotine is absorbed by the
lungs and quickly moved into the
bloodstream, where it is circulated
throughout the brain. Nicotine reaches the
brain within eight seconds of a person
inhaling tobacco smoke.
The human brain is not prepared for the
effects of nicotine and misinterprets the
experience of smoking as something
especially significant or profound. It’s
difficult for the brain to ignore inhaled
nicotine.
Effects on the brain
The brain tells a smoker that smoking is
good—just as it tells you that food is good
when you’re hungry. Because of these
effects on the brain, the urge to smoke often
overrides rational thought and good
judgment. And because tolerance to nicotine
develops rapidly, higher doses and more
frequent use are required for the brain to
register the same level of pleasure
experienced during initial use.
Nicotine and other ingredients in cigarette
smoke act upon structures deep in the brain,
where emotions and survival drives are
located. When stimulated, these structures
produce a feeling of pleasure.
It’s not uncommon for a person to try
several times before successfully quitting
smoking. A health care professional such as
your primary care physician, can help you
develop a treatment plan.
Specifically, nicotine stimulates the release
©1999-2003 University of Florida McKnight Brain
Institute
As with any drug, nicotine’s potential to be
addictive is related to how fast it reaches the
brain. Smoking and injecting any moodaltering substance dramatically increases a
drug’s addiction potential because it reaches
the brain faster.
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