Pack Mentality: Why Is It So Hard to Quit Smoking?

PACK MENTALITY THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE Research has shown that nicotine is the main silent agent in cigarettes. More than-just a physical. craving, it's also a psychological dependency. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO QUIT SMOKING? Neuron WITH MORE THAN 5 MILLION PEOPLE DYING EACH YEAR FROM ITS EFFECTS, TOBACCO SMOKING IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AROUND THE WORLD. EVEN WITH THE SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNINGS, THE NUMBER OF SMOKERS REMAINS HIGH, AND ACCORDING TO THE FDA, 50 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO REÇOVER FROM LUNG CANCER SURGERY 1/ Our brain is made up of billions of nerve cells. They release chemical START SMOKING AGAIN AFTERWARDS. HERE, WE EXPLORE EXACTLY WHAT CAUSES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE PUFF messengers called neurotransmitters that activate the receptor's nerve cell in Dendrites AND A HABITUAL POST-DESSERT DRAG. order to communicate with other cells. Axon 2/ The average smoker inhales 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine per cigarette. Most cigarettes on the U.S. market today have 2 to 10 milligrams or more of nicotine. Synapse The nicotine molecule is shaped like the neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which is involved in everything from muscle movement and heart rate to memory. Synaptic vesicles 3/ Once the nicotine reaches the brain, it's able to attach to the acetylcholine receptors and mimic its actions. The body then responds to the nicotine as if they were natural neurotransmitters. It takes 8 seconds for nicotine to reach the brain after inhaling tobacco smoke. Neurotransmitter Receptor 4/ NH 2 но Simultaneously, nicotine also raises dopamine and endorphin levels, which control feelings of pleasure and euphoria. At night, when you're asleep, these pathways shut down and cravings often occur immediately upon waking up. Н, но Nicotiana Tabacum Nicotine is a naturally occurring alkaloid-or chemists Wilhelm Heinrich Posselt and Karl nitrogen-containing chemical-that can be Ludwig Reimann in 1828 as a poisonous found in large amounts in the leaves of tobacco plants. The bitter-tasting compound is also composed of carbon, hydrogen and Once widely used as a pesticide, sometimes oxygen. Together, all of these a 60 miligram dose of the substance chemicals can have powerful pharmacologic can kill a human being. and psychological effects on the human body. Nicotine was first isolated by German 5/ As smokers increase the amount of cigarettes they smoke, more nicotine is absorbed by their lungs and into their bloodstream. They have to maintain this level of nicotine in order to keep the nervous system stable and prevent withdrawal symptoms. ingredient in tobacco. KEY O Oxygen Carbon Dioxide O Blood "Pharmacologic and behavioral characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine." Figure 6.5 Inhalation of tobacco smoke. 6/ American Heart Association The nervous system eventually adapts to these levels and the smoker develops a tolerance to the drug. Sources: American Heart Association, National Health Interview Survey, National Center for Health Statistics, World Health Organization, University of Ohio A COLLABORATION BETWEEN GOOD AND COLUMN FIVE