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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffNicotine is the chemical in tobacco that keeps you smoking. Nicotine is very addictive. 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.
Nicotine dependence, also referred to as tobacco dependence, involves behavioral 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 burning cigarette
- Driving your car
To overcome your dependence on tobacco, you need to deal with the behaviors and routines that you associate with smoking.
References
- Nicotine. NIDA for Teens. http://www.teens.drugabuse.gov/drnida/drnida_nic1.asp. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Questions about smoking, tobacco and health. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/TobaccoCancer/QuestionsaboutSmokingTobaccoandHealth/questions-about-smoking-tobacco-and-health-intro-and-background. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Rigotti NA, et al. Patterns of tobacco use and benefits of smoking cessation. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Cigarettes and other tobacco products. NIDA. http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/tobacco.html. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Renard SI, et al. Management of smoking cessation in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Sackey JA. Smoking cessation counseling strategies in primary care. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Smoking and how to quit. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.womenshealth.gov/quit-smoking/parents/. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Leone FT, et al. Behavioral interventions in tobacco dependence. Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice. 2009;36:489.
- Hatsukami DK, et al. Tobacco addiction. The Lancet. 2008;371:2027.
- Parents who quit smoking when their kids are young may have a big influence on whether their offspring will quit smoking in young adulthood. The Society for the Study of Addiction. http://www.addictionjournal.org/viewpressrelease.asp?pr=26. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Nicotine dependence. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Hurt RD (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 12, 2010.
- Hurt RD, et al. Treating Tobacco Dependence in a Medical Setting. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2009;59:314.
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