Is smoking addictive?
Cigarettes contain nicotine which is just as addictive as heroin or cocaine. It only takes 10 seconds for nicotine to reach the brain where it acts, making both your body and mind dependent. You can become addicted after smoking just a few cigarettes. You find yourself wanting to smoke more and more to keep up the level of nicotine in your body. If you don’t smoke, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms appear (e.g. dizziness, tiredness, tingling in the hands, headache), and that is why giving up smoking takes more effort than many people realise.
