The Psychology Behind Tobacco Addiction

Jamie Man, Year 12, Churchill

Tobacco addiction is a common addiction apparent in today ’ s society. According to Maureen Boyle, a public health advisor and director at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Addiction is a biopsychosocial disorder, ” which is a disorder that results from the complex interaction of biological, psychological and social factors. Most widespread through cigarettes, tobacco kills more than 8 million people a year, over 7 million of those deaths are from direct consumption whereas 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to secondhand smoking. It was found that two out of three smokers say they want to quit and about half try to quit each year, but very few are successful. Consequently, many smokers become emotionally and physically dependent on nicotine over time, due to the effects it can have on our behaviour, mood, and emotions.

Nicotine in tobacco is the main addictive chemical that causes a rush of adrenaline when absorbed in the bloodstream or inhaled through cigarette smoking. In addition, nicotine also triggers an increase in dopamine levels. Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter that your nervous system uses to send messages between nerve cells. It is involved in neurological and psychological functioning and plays a major role in the way we think and act. Dopamine is involved in many bodily functions including blood flow, memory & focus, mood & emotions and sleep. It stimulates the area of the brain that is associated with pleasure and reward and can contribute to feelings of happiness, alertness and motivation. Dopamine is secreted by the brain during healthy activities (such as exercising, listening to music); however, drugs such as nicotine and cocaine can cause intensive dopamine rushes that can leave you wanting more after the first experience. It will force the brain to release excessive amounts of dopamine, preventing the brain from reabsorbing the dopamine, making the pleasurable experience last longer than usual. In more serious cases where the use of tobacco is chronic or more severe, it can cause permanent changes to the molecular and neurochemical structure and functioning of the brain, so normal activities— such as gaming and exercise—do not produce the same amounts of dopamine that they used to.

High dopamine levels can affect dopamine receptors in a way that makes you lose interest in other things other than that ‘ pleasurable experience ’ , which can result in compulsive smoking. Many people who have used tobacco regularly for weeks or longer will experience physical and emotional symptoms of withdrawal when they try to stop or greatly reduce the amount they use it. Some symptoms include irritability, nervousness, headaches, depression and trouble sleeping. Even if you were to stop smoking for a long period of time, re-exposure to smoking can trigger your desire and put you at

risk of relapsing. Tobacco users often have high relapse rates, it was found that around 75% of people who quit smoking relapse within the first six months.

You might be wondering, at what point does it become an addiction? The basis of an addiction is when a person engages in activity that is pleasurable and cannot stop doing it to the extent at which it affects everyday living, health & wellbeing suffer as a result, the behaviour would be considered an addiction.

In the past years, there has been an ongoing debate on whether addiction is a choice or a disease. In the article “Addiction Is A Choice ” published in 2002, Dr. Schaler had stated that addiction is a behaviour and is “ clearly intended by the person ” , the evidence he had used to support his claim was the 12 step groups and programs that help with recovery from substance addictions. He stated that “if the philosophy of the 12 step method is to be believed, addiction is an ethical problem, not a medical one ” . In contrast, another article “Addiction Is A Disease ” also published in 2002, had used cigarette smoking as an example, and stated that despite all the warning labels printed on cigarette packets explaining the damaging and detrimental effects of tobacco, 17.8% of Americans still choose to smoke. As a result, this proves that choice is not the main factor in the decision to continue to intake tobacco. Many smokers are fully aware of the risks and effects but still continue to compulsively smoke.

After weighing and taking into consideration views from both sides of the argument, I have concluded that addiction is both a choice and a disease, but more so a disease to a certain extent. In the example of a smoker, I believe that the initial phase of choosing whether to smoke or not is a choice whether the reason being some form of emotional stress such as anxiety, depression, or peer pressure. However, once they start smoking, chemicals such as nicotine are introduced which changes this ‘ addiction ’ to a disease, due to the permanent effects it can have on the brain ’ s function, resulting in uncontrollable and impulsive smoking. I believe that it is at the stage when chemicals are introduced and the neurological changes occur that change the addiction from becoming more than just a choice, but a disease and medical condition that is out of their control.