Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco, which makes tobacco smoking addictive. The chemical formula is C10H14N2 (shown in the diagram below).
When nicotine is delivered into the lungs by inhaling smoke, mood and behaviour are regulated from the increase in the release of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
(Chemical Properties, n.d.)
(Botanical extracts, 2009)
Nicotine is only one of more than 4,000 chemicals found in the smoke from tobacco products, although is the primary addictive component. It takes just 8 seconds for nicotine to hit the brain once inhaled. Nicotine binds onto the acetylcholine receptors that carry messages between brain cells (shown in the diagram below). When …show more content…
The physical and mood-altering effects in the brain that nicotine produces, temporarily gratifies the user, leading to dependence on the drug.
(Nicotine dependence, n.d.)
The addiction of nicotine can be replaced with nicotine patches, gum, inhalers and lozenges to relieve any common symptoms of withdrawal. The use of nicotine patches delivers nicotine through the skin at a steady rate. Similarly with the other nicotine products, the drug is delivered into the body, without allowing the smoke (containing cancer-causing substances) to enter the body.
(How to Quit Smoking | How Nicotine Addiction Works, n.d.)
The nicotine molecule is shaped like a neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. When nicotine enters the brain, it attaches to these acetylcholine receptors, mimicking the actions like movement, breathing, heart rate, learning and …show more content…
Prices for cigarettes are exceptionally expensive, especially when being purchased daily, weekly and even monthly. Nicotine patches and other products to reduce craving to smoke tobacco are a solution to this. However, the price of Nicorette could be an issue for those who may not be able to afford it. This could be argued with the fact that a packet of cigarettes can cost up to (and more than) $30.00, whereas nicotine patches, could exceed this, to paying up to $60.00 for one step. Despite these costs, in the long term, nicotine patches, gum, inhalers and lozenges are more beneficial if the intention is addressed, as thousands of dollars can be saved each year when cigarettes are no longer being purchased, not to mention health improvements that take place when a chronic smoker withdraws from smoking