Nicotine Research Paper

Realizing that people with MHD’s have been identified as having a higher rate of nicotine use and that MHD’s range in severity (both between disorders as well as within a disorder) from mild to extreme. Using The Clinical Global Impression – Severity Scale, to rate the severity of the patient's illness at the time of assessment, a patient is assessed on severity of mental illness rating 1, normal, not at all ill too 7, extremely ill. That being said, I wonder, of the remaining smokers, how many have symptoms of a MHD, but whose symptoms do not rise to a diagnostic level, are high functioning and have never been identified, or have simply fallen through the cracks. Does chemical imbalance account for an even higher rate of smoking than is currently known or reported? Is there a connection between MHD’s and other chemical dependencies that correlate to specific chemical imbalances within specific disorders and patients? Are cigarettes, as a gateway drug, an initial drug of choice due to accessibility, acceptability, legality, and lack of overt adverse societal

Nicotine is a substance that is easy to become addicted to and extremely difficult to be independent of. Naturally, the rate that it takes nicotine to enter a person’s system is reliant upon their pH level (Scollo et al., 2015). The physiological effects that nicotine has on the human body can be observed within seconds after it has reached the bloodstream. A person’s heart rate and blood pressure tend to increase and the blood flow in the skin decreases leading to a drop in body temperature. When this happens however, the level of blood in the skeletal muscles increases. Additionally, brain waves become altered, the coronary arteries become narrowed, and the skeletal

Nicotine is an addictive drug, as addictive as heroin and cocaine. It is found in small amounts in certain plants, but mostly found in the tobacco plant. A per- son gets nicotine into his or her system through either smoking or smokeless tobacco.

1) Cigarette smoking produces a strong dependence because of the drug nicotine. Nicotine is responsible for producing the physical and mood-altering effects in one's brain that cause cigarette smoking to be pleasing. These effects are the reasons individuals choose to continue to smoke more, thus resulting in dependence. Furthermore, nicotine acts as a mild stimulant, which helps individuals stay awake, focused, and relaxed. Nicotine is habit forming and causes unpleasant symptoms when the body is lacking nicotine. "One can theoretically choose to stop using a drug, but one has a very difficult time doing so because of the potent reinforcing properties of the substance. That is the case with nicotine" (Hart & Ksir, 2015, p. 244).

While there are several many elements that make up the causes of substance disorders, I personally lean towards the cognitive-behavioral view to explain substance disorders. Behaviorist state that through operant-conditioning individuals become addicted to substances because of the “reward” that is delivered by a drug (Comer, 2016). I know from my own life that when I smoked cigarettes, I would feel an almost immediate sense of relaxation. This sensation caused me to feel more compelled to smoke a cigarette whenever I felt stressed. Even though I stopped smoking a long time ago, even now, when I feel stressed I feel compelled to light up a cigarette. While I personally have only experienced the instants “reward” of nicotine from cigarettes,

My grandfather was a heavy smoker, but besides that supposedly he loved to take care of my brother and I. He wasn't allowed to smoke inside our house, but he still did, yes he is a savage we know. But soon his life started to all fall apart once he got sick. He loved to go to Vegas and trips were frequent. Soon instead of coming home to him buoyant. He looked depressed and pale like something was extremely wrong with him. Since I was young I didn't really notice and throughout it makes you look at things differently.

To many individuals simply quitting smoking proves to be a bit more difficult that they might think. It is a weak mindset of the individual or is it something more than just going cold turkey. Looking a little deeper to the content of what cigarettes contain, one of its ingredients might have a better explanation as to why it might be so challenging to just give up smoking tobacco. Nicotine is an alkaloid that in its natural state it has a clear liquid appearance with a characteristic odor. When it is expose to air it changes its coloration to a brown color. Nicotine can be absorbed via oral mucosa as it is found on dipping and chewing products, as well as through the lungs as cigarettes, cigars, vaping devices and second-hand smoke. Nicotine can also be absorbed via the skin in a form of nicotine patches. Once nicotine is ingested, it’s absorbed and metabolized by the liver.

Jain and Mukherjee argued that ever since Posselt and Reimanbasic separated nicotine from tobacco in 1828, the studies in nicotine became rigorous and extensive (as cited in Jiloha, 2010, p. 3). Nicotine is a potent parasympathomimetic alkaloid pyridine ((1-methyl-2-[3-pyrodyl] pyrrolidine)), the proportion of its carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen is C10, H14 and N2 which creates a structure that resembles a double-ring (Ashton & Stepney, 1982 as cited in Jiloha, 2010, p. 3). Nicotine has a molar mass of 162.23 g/mol, it is volatile and appears as an oily liquid that is miscible with water in its base form. When it has contact with light or air, it becomes brown in color and gives off a strong odor that people commonly associated as the smell

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and deaths in the United States (1). Annually, a total of more deaths can be attributed to tobacco use than by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle accidents, suicides, and homicides combined (3). In 2009, nearly 46.6 million or 20.6 percent of all Americans over the age of 18 were smoking (4), and each day, nearly 3,450 young Americans, between the ages 12 and 17, start smoking their first cigarette (5). Moreover, tobacco use results in nearly 443,000 annual deaths in the United States. Of these, 49,000 are attributed to secondhand smoke exposure (3). Consequently, tobacco use has heavily burdened the U.S. healthcare system. Every

Tobacco is a plant that is grown in warm climates. After it is picked, it is dried, ground up, and used in many ways. It can be smoked in a cigarette, pipe, or other items. It could be chewed or even sniffed through the nose.

One major advantage of tobacco cessation counseling can be described as a “…good evidences that quitting smoking at any age results in significant health gains” (Census and Statistics Department, 2000; Skaar et al, 1997; Abdullah & Husten, 2006, p. 461). As Lightwood and Glantz (1997), Lightwood (1999), and Shields (2002) referred the only known way to reduce cancer risk in smokers is to complete cessation, which results in a 35% lower risk death due to tobacco related illness and a 64% reduced risk of tobacco related cancer (Anczak & Nogler, 2003). Due to the global tobacco control and systematic surveillance, this epidemic also links the states and community resources, integrated with guidelines and help to compile data. Smoking cessation

It is well-known that people with mental illnesses are more likely to smoke than those who are healthy. This is because cigarettes tend to help those people with the symptoms of the disorders they have, such as anxiety, depression, and low energy levels. Nicotine acts as a stimulant and increases heartbeat, blood pressure, alertness, central nervous system, and decreases appetite. All these effects, that this particular stimulant has, serve as a relief aid for the individual from his illness. However, this relief is only temporary, and in fact, research shows that smoking can actually be the cause of those psychological disorders. To what extent can this claim be concluded as truth and what should tobacco companies do about it? These are the

Cigarettes are both physically and psychologically addictive due to their nicotine content, as well as the over four-thousand other chemicals produced when it burns. Once becoming addicted to, and dependent upon cigarettes, it becomes tremendously difficult for the user to quit. Nicotine, the active compound found in cigarettes, is highly addictive; acting in the brain and throughout the body by activating the neurotransmitters involved with producing feelings of pleasure and reward. According to

Smoking is a dangerous and addictive habit; each year about 440,000 people perish in the United States due to tobacco smoking (Maugh). From those

Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of diseases and premature death in the United States (U.S.), yet more than 45 million Americans still smoke cigarettes. The health threat posed by tobacco has been accepted by scientists since the 17th century. In 1928, studies linked smoking to cancer. In 1964, the first Surgeon General’s report on cigarette smoking summarized the evidence that tobacco poses serious health risks for those who use it. Cigarette smoking should be banned in the U.S. because smoking causes damage throughout the body, it is hazardous to non-smokers, cigarettes cost everyone, and cigarettes are no better than drugs.