The answer according to Dr.David Abrams, an Addiction Researcher attached to the National Institutes is simple;it makes one to feel good. It’s action is all pervading in the sense that it stimulates, focuses on the mind, sooths and satisfies at the same time. The ‘nicotine’ content in a cigarette through a puff triggers almost instantly a flood of dopamine and other neuro chemicals that travels through brain’s pleasure centres. This is the chief reason as to why smokers would not quit smoking and getting out of ‘nicotine’ is more difficult than heroin or cocaine. The urge is similar to that of other wants as food, sex which drives a human being for satisfaction.
But, there is some good news also;’nicotine’ is not addictive for everyone. This is the reason one finds an equally large number of non-smokers also, because, to begin with they never liked it. There is another category of persons, termed as ‘chippers’ who smoke occasionally but do not get hooked to it. But for the rest , it is same story of smoking everyday and all the day and through out life.
For this yet another explanation is found in the genes. The persons who get addicted to smoking produced a gene-encoded enzyme that clears ‘nicotine’ from their bloodstreams rapidly as a result of which they tend to smoke more and consequently get addicted. Special receptors embedded in the brains of some other people make them feel high when they smoke which keeps them addicted to this habit.
A new drug which has been approved for the first time for being prescribed to smokers may be of some utility in helping them to get rid of their addiction. Named ‘Chentix’, it works by masquerading as ‘nicotine’ adequately enough to occupy the brain’s ‘nicotine’s’ receptors. As a result the real ‘nicotine’ does not find enough free receptors which reduces the craving. However, the mass usage of the drug has been hampered with reports of suicide or odd behavior by its users.
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