Whats so different about nicotine addiction?
Alcohol, caffeine and even chocolate can produce small changes in our mood, so what’s different about nicotine? First, nicotine provides a bigger boost than chocolate or a cup of coffee. Perhaps most importantly, nicotine passes into our brains much more quickly than most other substances. Nicotine enters your brain within 10 seconds of taking a puff on a cigarette. This rapid delivery of nicotine means that we develop a strong association between using tobacco and the feelings it brings. Nicotine is also highly addictive because it causes changes in your brain. Fortunately, most of these changes will be reversed once you quit smoking. However, some changes may last for long periods of time and may explain why some people get cravings to smoke many months or years after quitting.
