UNDERSTANDING ADDICTION
A custom loathesome to the eye,
hateful to the nose, harmful to the lungs, and in the black,
stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stygian
smoke of the pit that is bottomless. James I of England
(1566-1625)
A branch of the sin of drunkenness, which is the root of all
sins. James I of England (1566-1625)
Herein is not only a great vanity, but a great contempt of God's
good gifts, that the sweetness of man's breath, being a good
gift of God, should be willfully corrupted by this stinking
smoke. James I of England (1566-1625)
Generations before us have observed and suffered the deadly
effects of tobacco. The observations of James I of England were
correct. James I as well as other important historical figures
condemned the use of tobacco. His association of tobacco with
alcohol
was insightful. Indeed both alcohol and nicotine, as well as all
other addicting compounds affect the brain's reward and pleasure
circuitry; all involve dopamine.
What makes tobacco so deadly?
The smoke. Mainly it's the smoke that kills. Tobacco smoke--the
vehicle that delivers the addictive nicotine into the
lungs--contains numerous poisons which include cancer-causing
substances.
Why is tobacco addicting?
Nicotine—and perhaps other substances in the tobacco. Is
nicotine harmful? Well yes and no. Nicotine is used as a deadly
insecticide and the amount of nicotine in four cigarettes taken
in one dose would kill an adult. Smokers absorb only a small
percentage of the nicotine in a cigarette. Nevertheless nicotine
may be helpful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and it is
a powerful mood enhancer. Many smokers describe feeling calmed
or energized when they smoke. It seems contradictory but many
smokers feel nicotine both relaxes and motivates them
simultaneously! The problem is, as with all addicting
substances, it appears that once the brain 'learns' how to use
nicotine to control its’ anxiety and motivate itself, the brain
'forgets' how to respond to its’ own mood chemicals. It can't
calm or motivate itself and depends on nicotine to do it.
Why can't smokers get nicotine in forms safer than tobacco?
Good question. Many pharmacists can make nicotine lollipops or
nicotine lip balm that can provide nicotine to addicts. These
forms, being flameless would be safer than cigarettes and cigars
considering the number of fire deaths and damage caused by
smoked tobacco. In fact everyday, somewhere, someone dies
because a smoker fell asleep with a lit cigarette! For some
reason government agencies in the USA have declared nicotine
lollipops and lip balm illegal.
But if nicotine helps someone's mood and energy level why
shouldn't it be available over-the-counter, in a safe pill or
lollipop form? This is difficult to answer. But yes, maybe
nicotine should be available to anyone who benefits from
it--just as caffeine is. Or maybe both nicotine and caffeine use
should be more closely scrutinized. Many alcohol, heroin, and
cocaine addicts say that nicotine was their first 'high'. The
feeling from nicotine encouraged them to experiment with drugs
that cause more powerful levels of euphoria. Tobacco may indeed
be the ‘gateway’ drug.
Are certain people more inclined to develop addiction?
Some addiction scientists and clinicians hold that people who
develop addiction problems may be born with lower than normal
levels of 'good mood' chemicals and their addiction is a result
of their attempt to just feel 'normal' through self-medication.
This may be correct. Countless numbers of individuals
self-medicate with mood-enhancing or mood-altering substances
such as alcohol, caffeine, marijuana, cocaine, opiates and other
legal and illegal chemicals.
But why don’t smokers just quit? Aren’t they just weak? Don’t
they just lack determination to stop? Isn’t it their own fault
anyway? After all, no one made them start smoking!
Again, addiction is a condition of a severe change in the
person’s reward hierarchy. The need or craving for the drug can
cause the person to overlook their own health and welfare and
they may even neglect the health and welfare of others!
Consider the roller-coaster. A ride on a roller-coaster can be
very exciting. The accelerations, twists and turns can be so
thrilling and exhilarating that a group of friends at an
amusement park may spend their whole day riding the
roller-coaster. When the day is over they may feel exhausted—but
happy to describe the fun they had to others. While their fun on
the roller-coaster was memorable, the next day they went back to
school or work. They did not suffer irresistible urges or
cravings to get back on the roller-coaster. They did not go
back, day after day, to the amusement park to spend their life
riding the roller-coaster. They did not overlook their health or
responsibilities in order to get the ‘roller-coaster high’. Not
so with drug-induced euphorias. Oxygen-toting lung cancer
patients will continue to smoke. Mouth cancer patients with
tracheostomies will continue to smoke tobacco through the holes
surgically cut into their throats.
We see the overpowering force of addiction in other settings as
well. Drug addicts will forfeit custody of their children in
order to continue their habit. Often opiate addicts will not eat
in order to avoid spending money for food instead of heroin.
Addicts have lost their freedom, they are enslaved. Certainly
some do break their chains and get better but the six million
tobacco-related deaths each year are a stark testimony to those
who could not free themselves from nicotine. Consider that each
year approximately 50% of smokers try to quit tobacco yet less
than 2% are successful!
Addiction Stronger Than Love
“Doc, I like
(romance), but I love nicotine”.—A.M.
Many smokers say that nicotine gives them an extremely powerful
pleasure sensation. Some say that this feeling is even stronger
than the most reinforcing biological sensations!! While this
experience is more commonly described by opiate and cocaine
addicts it is interesting just how overwhelming and controlling
an addiction can be. Have you ever seen stories on TV about
celebrities who die by drug overdose, or seen beautiful and
handsome celebrities damage their lives, lose their marriages,
end their careers because of addiction problems? These episodes
are vivid demonstrations of the power of addicting
chemicals—they take over the person. Essentially their brains
have been re-wired, they are actually not the person they were
prior to their addiction. Again, they are enslaved, dehumanized.
You cannot reason with them, they cannot reason with themselves.
Many addicts will tell you that tobacco was their first drug!
Tobacco gave them their first ride on the dopamine
rollercoaster!
There is an enormous volume of scientific research incriminating
tobacco as a health hazard and a cause of death. This data is an
obvious indictment of those involved in tobacco production,
distribution and sale. This causes one to wonder why the use of
tobacco is still so prevalent and even increasing in certain
parts of the world. Why do governments and international organizations, well aware of its' consequences, allow continued
production and access to tobacco? Where are the voices of
political, educational and religious leaders on this matter?
We at unholysmoke.org are working to bring the attention of
political, educational and religious leaders to this problem.
This situation cannot be allowed to persist. Those who are
entrusted with the protection and instruction of communities and
nations cannot be allowed to overlook this problem. Please join
us in our work. Thank you.