WHY IS IT SO HARD TO QUIT SMOKING?
Inhaling a puff of smoke from a cigarette sends NICOTINE AND MOLECULES ZOOMING UP INTO THE BRAIN WITHIN SECONDS.
There, the nicotine grabs hold of receptors on brain cells and releases a wave of dopamine; THE BRAIN FEELS GOOD CHEMICAL, BRINGING FEELINGS OF PLEASURE AND COMFORT.
Beside dopamine, smoking also activates the release of other molecules in the brain that make you feel good, including chemicals called endogenous opioids, which heighten positive feelings and subdue negative ones.
CIGARETTE COMPANIES HAVEN’T BEEN MAKING IT ANY EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO KICK THE HABIT.
Over the past decade companies have made changes to the design and ingredients in cigarette to make them more alluring to first time smokers and more addictive for long term smokers.
These changes include adding AMMONIA to the tobacco, which converts nicotine into a form that gets to the brain faster, as well as adding holes to cigarette filters that allow people to inhale smoke more deeply into their LUNGS.
Other additions, such as sugar and “Moisture Enhancers” reduce the dry burning sensation of smoking, making it a more pleasant experience, especially for new cigarette smokers.
WHEN YOU STOP SMOKING, AND YOUR NICOTINE RECEPTORS STOP BEING ACTIVATED.
Essentially, you are not getting as much dopamine as you are used to, which can cause feelings of withdrawal.
People who had quit cold turkey had lingering feelings of depression and tension 31 days later.
ADOLESCENTS’ bodies are even more sensitive to nicotine, and therefore, they become addicted more easily than adults, this helps explain why, everyday, approximately 4000 teens try their first cigarette and 1000 teenagers become daily smokers.
For those hoping that switching from regular cigarette to Filtered, Low-Tar, or “LIGHT” variations is a healthier choice, THESE ALTERNATIVES DO NOT REDUCE THE OVERALL RISK OF DISEASE AMONG SMOKERS, AND MAY ACTUALLY HINDER THEIR EFFORTS TO QUIT.
SMOKING EFFECTS TO MALE AND FEMALE BODY
