Tobacco Addiction – The Brief Case

Tobacco is a harmful and addictive material used by people in various forms – for chewing, sniffing and smoking. Nicotine is the main element that causes addiction in products made of tobacco. This nicotine acts as a stress buster, boosting levels of dopamine, a chemical that regulates the brain cell functioning. Increased levels of dopamine induce pleasure and aids triggering of the reward paths that are present in the brain. An excess consumption of tobacco leads to tobacco addiction which contributes towards the decline in the amounts of an enzyme called monoamine oxidase in the brain. This enzyme assists in controlling levels of dopamine by their break down.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse in the U.S. states that tobacco dependence is the top cause of deaths in the nation. About 440, 000 deaths a year take place due to tobacco addiction. The grief doubles when the fact reveals that these deaths could be avoided. Researches prove that trying to quit the tobacco addiction automatically reverts back to craving of tobacco consumption in 85 % of withdrawal cases; and that too in less than a week’s period. Anxiety, insomnia, anger, increase in appetite, depression, etc. are furthermore additions to the list of withdrawal symptoms in people who try sudden attempts to break tobacco addiction. Some may also face difficulty in concentrating and loss of memory, which may stay as long as months or years.

Prevention is the basic and best solution for keeping tobacco addiction at bay. Nicotine replacement is one of the alternatives for treating tobacco addiction. Patch or gum, inhaler or spray, any of these techniques can help one to get rid of tobacco addiction with time, once the withdrawal symptoms are taken care of. Apart from physical healing, mental and psychological treatments are also required for the complete treatment form tobacco addiction. Hence, behavioral intervention treatments are also provided to tobacco addicts. Other medications include names like Zyban and Chantix.

It is hoped that collective efforts and advances further lower the prevalence of use of tobacco among addicts and lower the rates of addiction across the globe. If not controlled, tobacco addiction is going to bring a century where 2 things would be possible – deaths will be only due to tobacco addiction, or tobacco will rule the human genes to make live only those who are immunized to tobacco.