Cigarette Nicotine Addiction and Remedy
When a person inhales cigarette smoke, the nicotine in the smoke gets rapidly absorbed into the blood and starts affecting the brain, providing an induced feeling of pleasure. More than 4,000 substances are contained in cigarette smoke, many cause cancer (Common related cancers of the larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach, and uterine cervix) or damage the lungs. Cigarette smoking has been linked to coronary heart disease, stroke, ulcers, and increased events for respiratory infections.
Cigarette smoking causes earlier menopause, and pregnant women who smoke or exposed to second hand smoke, increase the risk of having stillborn, premature infants or babies born with low birthright. Children living in an environment were parents are smoking, are twice as likely to have health problems, than parents that don’t smoke. According to Worayuth Watcharotayangkoon, general manager of Pfizer (market leader in nicotine replacement products) said “Each year, about 50,000 people die from cigarette smoking or about six deaths per hour.
The age group with the most heavy smokers is 25 – 34.” According to a survey conducted by Pfizer, nationwide found that nearly 60 percent of respondents or approximately 1.7 million people, wanted to quit smoking but unfortunately had poor results or lacked support. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States (Smokers lose between 15 – 25 years of life expectancy), accounting for almost 500,000 deaths each year. In 1993, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, medical cost directly related to smoking accounted to $50 billion dollars. Various options available for treating nicotine addiction, but may require several attempts over many years, before permanently giving up the addiction to smoke a cigarette.
Smokers that have attempted or conquered the ability to stop smoking experienced symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Besides the craving for a cigarette, common are mood disturbances, increased appetite and sleep problems. According to study conducted by Thomas H. Brandon, Ph. D, Director of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institutes Tobacco Research & Intervention Program, and his research team from Moffitt and University of South Florida, found that within thirty minutes, smokers that had abstained from cigarette smoking developed cravings.
The participants of the study were 50 pack a day smokers. Half of these smokers that abstained from cigarette smoking for four hours, starting developing craving for cigarettes within a half hour and followed by symptoms that included anxiety, sadness, and difficulty to concentrate. Withdrawal symptoms typically peak within the first three days quitting to smoke, and last for two weeks or longer. Medications are available to reduce the magnitude of these symptoms. The results of the study had been published in a 2006 issue of Psychopharmacology, authored by Peter S. Hendricks, Joseph, W. Ditre, and David J. Drobes, and Brandon. According to senior author Brandon, if a nicotine dependent smoker is allowed to smoke at will, average one cigarette about every 40 minutes. The elapsed time indicates how long nicotine stays concentrated in the brain until next craving.
Available are methods to quite smoking or control the number of cigarettes smoked in a day. In the August 2006 issue of ‘Chest’, Nicotine replacement therapy enables significant number of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to stop smoking. This treatment best works for those smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes per day, according to Dr. Philip Tnnesen from Gentoffe Hospital Hellerup, Denmark told Reuters Health. Under the tongue nicotine tablets provided the substitute for nicotine found in cigarettes (Other nicotine replacement products include nicotine gum, and nicotine skin patches) and providing high or low behavioral support. However, patients that continued to smoke after six or twelve months, nicotine replacement or behavioral support, offered no influence toward quitting to smoke.
Medications are available for the treatment to stop cigarette smoking addiction, includes antidepressant bupropion or brand name Wellburton or Zyban. In 1997 bupropion, approved for sale by the Food and Drug Administration. Subsequently, Glaxo SmithKline marketed the drug under the name Zyban. Bupropion approved for those that smoke ten or more cigarettes a day, and are at least 18 years old. Taking the medication helps avoid gaining weight, quitting to smoke. Zyban increases several chemical messengers in the brain, which reduces nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. Those that have taken Zyban, reported one in a 1,000 suffered a seizure.
Not recommended for those people with epilepsy or certain other disorders. After taking the medication for two weeks, a date can be set to start to quit smoking cigarettes. Advisable to take the medication: Seven to twelve weeks. Zyban patches are available, but should not be used in conjunction with tablet Zyban, may increase blood pressure. Additionally, participating in counseling or support sessions, make success more likely. Most common side effects is dry mouth and sleeplessness, usually dissipate, after a few weeks.
Unfortunately for many addicted cigarette smokers, during the past six years, quitting smoking has become more difficult. A study published in August 29, 2006, by the Massachusetts Department of Health reported, amount of nicotine in cigarettes increased by ten percent from 1998 – 2004, regardless of the brand. Also, made addiction easier. Massachusetts is one of three states, requiring tobacco companies to submit information about nicotine and the only state that has collected data since 1998.
According to the study, cigarette brand names Marlboro, Newport and Camel contained more nicotine than six years ago. Also, Kool menthol brand had an increase of twenty percent more nicotine, during the same period. According to Department of Public Health Associate Commissioner Sally Fogerty, based upon the findings of the study, adjusting the strength of nicotine replacements therapies may have to be considered. Deaths attributed by smoking in Massachusetts, account for more than 9,000 deaths each year, and kill more people in the state than AIDS, car accidents, homicides, suicides and poisonings combined.
During the past ten years, therapeutic nicotine products helped more than five million people around the world successfully to stop smoking. Increased availability of therapeutic nicotine products at 35,000 retail stores in the United States and thousands more globally. As a result, risk of cancer or other related smoking disease, have greatly been reduced. Comparably on average, a pack of cigarettes cost $7.00 and standard nicotine product per day cost three to five dollars. The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services and other medical insurance providers, cover some of the costs for smoking cessation counseling.
