If you have ever been a smoker, you know how hard quitting can be. If you don’t smoke, it can be hard to understand why people smoke and how tough it is to quit. So why do people have such a hard time quitting?

Nicotine is the primary psychoactive constituent of tobacco. Nicotine’s effects are short-lived, lasting only 40 minutes to a couple of hours. Nicotine is Highly Addictive. The nicotine in inhaled tobacco smoke moves from the lungs, into the bloodstream and up to the smoker’s brain within 7 to 10 seconds. Nicotine, present in the tobacco leaf, is one of the main ingredients in tobacco. Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes and it is the reason people experience withdrawal when trying to quit smoking.

Nicotine and Dopamine Nicotine also causes the release of dopamine in the brain; dopamine is a chemical responsible for sensations of pleasure. Nicotine has also been shown to increase the amounts of oxygen free radicals in heart muscle.

Nicotine has been linked to causing adverse effects such as lung problems and low birth weights in the fetus and in newborns. Nicotine has been shown to cause hypoxia in the fetus, resulting in growth retardation. Nicotine passes into breast milk and has had undesirable effects on nursing infants.

Nicotine can stay in the blood stream, causing the feel good reactions for up to 72 hours. Nicotine dependence can be very hard to break. Nicotine in cigarettes is just as addictive as ‘harder’ drugs like heroin or cocaine. Nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction.

The acute effects of nicotine wear off within minutes, so people must continue dosing themselves frequently throughout the day to maintain the pleasurable effects of nicotine and to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe and many smokers might not be able to quit on their first attempt because of these symptoms, and a lack of preparation to cope with withdrawal. The most severe withdrawal symptoms occur within the first week although the craving for cigarettes can persist for month even years.

The typical withdrawal symptoms are: headaches anxiety and irritability, difficulty concentrating and sleeping, hunger, decreased heart rate and blood pressure, craving for nicotine. When an adequate level of nicotine is not maintained, the smoker will experience symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Other side effects such as fatigue and coughing are indications that the body is in a state of repair and is cleaning out the poisons associated with smoking.

But there’s more to smoking than nicotine. People smoke for many reasons, and these reasons also make it hard for them to quit. Smoking may:

• Relieve stress and bad moods.

• Improve concentration.

• Control hunger and weight.

• Be an activity of a social group.

• Be part of a daily ritual.

These reasons seem very good to smokers. Without cigarettes, they may feel that something is missing in their lives. They may feel that they can’t cope without smoking.

Imagine how hard it would be for you to give up a habit that you enjoy or that you think helps you in some way. What would you use as your replacement? How would you cope?

The combination of nicotine addiction and reasons to smoke make it very hard to quit. Addiction is considered as a disease. But don’t worry because it can still be remedied. And usually there are different kinds of emotions that are experienced when you’re in a family that is afflicted with addiction.