What makes smoking so addicting?
Nicotine is the active ingredient found in cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and chewing tobacco that hooks users after just a few drags, according to ABC News. Produced synthetically and naturally by various plants (including the tobacco plant), nicotine is a nitrogen-containing chemical that produces immediate pleasurable effects such as relaxation and euphoria, but these effects are very short-lived as nicotine consumption requires ever-increasing doses to get the same high. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), nicotine’s pharmacokinetic properties are responsible for enhancing its abuse potential. To prevent withdrawal symptoms that could last from a few weeks to a few months, users smoke more frequently as their bodies’ tolerance levels surge.
Is smoking really that dangerous?
Medical News Today reports that over 400,000 premature deaths in the United States are caused by cigarette companies, which equates to about 20% of all deaths – amounting to more than the grand total number of deaths related to car accidents, suicides, HIV, murders, alcohol and other drug abuses combined!
What about vaping?
Vaping is a popular harm reduction technique that’s been endorsed by health experts, according to a study published in PubMed Health (2017). Results from the study reveal the following facts about vaping:
- Participants who had not smoked in at least six months showed lower levels of carcinogens and toxic chemicals in their samples unless they were “combination users” who smoked regular cigarettes and vaped
- Vaping reduces exposure to toxic chemicals found in tobacco
- E-cigs are 95% less harmful than tobacco, according to a Public Health England report
What is Harm Reduction?
The Harm Reduction Coalition defines this term as “a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use.” When working with clients, addiction therapists sometimes use the harm reduction approach to help them gradually work their way towards absolute abstinence from illicit drug use.
Is vaping meant for long-term use?
According to Live Science, vaping has only been on the market for ten years, so there is insufficient research to answer questions about health/safety impacts and long-term effectiveness for traditional smokers. There’s been much debate about the harmful effects of vaping for kids and teens, but vaping was introduced as a harm reduction tool. The invention of the e-cigarette originated from one man’s motivation to help smokers quit because his father died from lung cancer related to smoking. It was not meant to be a “transfer drug” so that users can transfer their addiction to another nicotine product.
The Nation’s Best Alcohol & Drug Rehab Center
New Method Wellness offers a wide array of addiction treatment programs (excluding harm reduction for cigarettes). Their programs integrate holistic methods with evidence-based therapeutic techniques, making New Method Wellness a premier dual diagnosis treatment center which has gained nationwide recognition on prominent platforms such as the Dr. Phil Show and A & E’s Intervention.
If you or a loved one needs help with substance abuse addiction, contact us today!
