September 2006 « Chantix News HomeHigher nicotine level makes smoking harder to
quit Melissa Nichols, Kansas City, Mo., junior, started smoking her junior year of high school. Since then she’s tried to quit but hasn’t been able to go more than two weeks without a cigarette. “It’s addicting,” Nichols said. “You just want one.” According to a new study, it may be harder to quit today than ever before. The level of nicotine smokers consume per cigarette rose 10 percent in the last six years according to the Massachusetts Department of Health. Higher levels of nicotine make it easier for smokers to become addicted and harder for them to quit. The study found that Marlboro, Newport and Camel — the three most popular brands among young smokers — had increased most in nicotine levels. According to “Abnormal Psychology” by David Holmes, professor of psychology, nicotine absorption into the blood increases heart rate and blood pressure and causes blood vessels to contract. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms can include irritability, nausea, dizziness, headaches, increased appetite and weight gain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention smoking greatly increases the risk of dying from lung cancer, developing coronary heart disease, suffering a stroke and developing several other types of cancer. Nichols said she realized smoking was bad and wanted to quit smoking some day. She’s not alone. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, most smokers admit smoking is harmful and want to quit but only about six percent who try to quit stop for more than a month. Nicotine activates reward pathways in the brain and causes feelings of pleasure. Read more: http://www.kansan.com/stories/2006/sep/07/nicotine/?news |
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