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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that keeps you smoking. It can be as addictive as cocaine. It increases the release of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which help regulate mood and behavior. One of these neurotransmitters is dopamine, which makes you feel good. Getting that dopamine boost is part of the addiction process.

Tobacco dependence involves psychological as well as physical factors. Behaviors and cues that you may associate with smoking include:

  • Certain times of the day, such as with morning coffee or during breaks at work
  • After a meal
  • Drinking alcohol
  • Certain places or friends
  • Talking on the phone
  • Stressful situations or when you're feeling down
  • The smell of a cigarette
  • Driving your car

To overcome your dependence on tobacco, you need to deal with the behaviors and routines that you associate with smoking.

Risk factors Symptoms
References
  1. Nicotine. NIDA for Teens. http://www.teens.drugabuse.gov/drnida/drnida_nic1.asp. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  2. Cigarette smoking. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_12X_Cigarette_Smoking.asp?sitearea=PED. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  3. Benowitz NL. Clinical pharmacology of nicotine: Implications for understanding, preventing, and treating tobacco addiction. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2008;83(4):531-541.
  4. Smoking 101 fact sheet. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=39853. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  5. Hatsukami DK, et al. Tobacco addiction. The Lancet. 2008;371:2027-2038.
  6. Burke MV, et al. Treatment of tobacco dependence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2008;83(4):479-484.
  7. Nides M. Update on pharmacologic options for smoking cessation treatment. The American Journal of Medicine. 2008;121(4A):S20-S31.
  8. Executive summary. In: Treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=hstat2.section.28189. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
  9. Guide to quitting smoking. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Guide_for_Quitting_Smoking.asp?sitearea=PED. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  10. Le Foll B, et al. Treatment of tobacco dependence: Integrating recent progress into practice. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2007;177(11):1373-1380.
  11. Benowitz NL. Neurobiology of nicotine addiction: Implications of smoking cessation treatment. The American Journal of Medicine. 2008;121(4A):S3-S10.
  12. Woodward K. Quit before kids reach third grade. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. http://www.fhcrc.org/about/pubs/center_news/2003/may15/sart1.html?&printfriendly=yes. Accessed Oct. 22, 2008.
  13. Berrettini W. Nicotine addiction. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 2008;165(9):1089-1092.
  14. Clinical interventions for tobacco use and dependence. In: Treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=hstat2.section.28251. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  15. Smoking and cardiovascular disease risk. Washington, DC: American Heart Association.
  16. Kuehn BM. Personalized care may help smokers quit. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007. 298(21): 2472. 
  17. Niaura R. Nonpharmocologic therapy for smoking cessation: Characteristics and efficacy of current approaches. The American Journal of Medicine. 2008;121(4A):S11-S19.
  18. Online guide to quitting: Managing cravings. Smokefree.gov. htttp://www.smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/managing_cravings.html. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
  19. Youth & tobacco. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/youth/information_sheets/yuthfax1.htm. Accessed Oct. 27, 2008.
  20. Hurt RD (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 5, 2008.

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