National Institute on Drug Abuse
Research Report Series

Nicotine Addiction

[Nicotine Addiction Report Index] << Effective Treatments for Nicotine Addiction

Where can I get further scientific
information about nicotine addiction?

To learn more about nicotine and other drugs of abuse, contact the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 1-800-729-6686. Information specialists are available to assist you in locating needed information and resources.

Fact sheets on health effects of drug abuse and other topics can be ordered free of charge, in English and Spanish, by calling NIDA INFOFAX at 1-888-NIH-NIDA (1-888-644-6432) or 1-888-TTY-NIDA (1-888-889-6432)for the hearing impaired.

Information can be accessed also through various web sites.

• NIDA: http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDAHome.html
  
  
• NCADI: http://www.health.org/
  
  
• Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco: http://www.srnt.org/

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco
  
  
• National Cancer Institute: http://www.nci.nih.gov/
  
  
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: http://www.rwjf.org/
  
  
• Quit Smoking Message Board: http://www.quitsmokingmessageboard.com

Glossary

Addiction: A chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and use and by neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain.

Adrenal glands: Glands located above each kidney that secrete hormones, e.g., adrenaline.

Craving: A powerful, often uncontrollable desire for drugs.

Dopamine: A neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation, and the feeling of pleasure.

Emphysema: A lung disease in which tissue deterioration results in increased air retention and reduced exchange of gases. The result is difficult breathing and shortness of breath. It is often caused by smoking.

Nicotine: An alkaloid derived from the tobacco plant that is responsible for smoking's psychoactive and addictive effects; is toxic at high doses but can be safe and effective as medicine at lower doses.

Pharmacokinetics: The pattern of absorption, distribution, and excretion of a drug over time.

Physical dependence: An adaptive physiological state that occurs with regular drug use and results in a withdrawal syndrome when drug use is stopped; usually occurs with tolerance.

Rush: A surge of pleasure that rapidly follows administration of some drugs.

Tobacco: A plant widely cultivated for its leaves, which are used primarily for smoking; the tabacum species is the major source of tobacco products.

Tolerance: A condition in which higher doses of a drug are required to produce the same effect as during initial use; often leads to physical dependence.

Withdrawal: A variety of symptoms that occur after use of an addictive drug is reduced or stopped.

References

Bartecchi, C.E.; MacKenzie, T.D.; and Schrier, R.W. Human costs of tobacco use. New Engl J Med 330:907-980, 1994.Benowitz, N.L. Pharmacology of nicotine: addiction and therapeutics. Ann Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 36:597-613, 1996.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 47(12):229-233, 1998.

Giovino, G.A.; Henningfield, J.E.; Tomar, S.L.; Escobedo, L.G.; and Slade, J. Epidemiology of tobacco use and dependence. Epidemiol Rev 17(1):48-65, 1995.

Henningfield, J.E. Nicotine medications for smoking cessation. New Engl J Med 333:1196-1203, 1995.

Hughes, J.R. The future of smoking cessation therapy in the United States. Addiction 91:1797-1802, 1996.

Lynch, B.S., and Bonnie, R.J., eds. Growing Up Tobacco Free. Preventing Nicotine Addiction in Children and Youths. Committee on Preventing Nicotine Addiction in Children and Youths. Division of Biobehavioral Sciences and Mental Disorders, Institute of Medicine, 1995.

Martin, W.R.; Van Loon, G.R.; Iwamoto, E.T.; and Davis, L., eds. Tobacco Smoking and Nicotine. New York: Plenum Publishing, 1987.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Survey Results on Drug Use From the Monitoring the Future Study, 1975-1994, Vol. I: Secondary School Students. NIH Pub. No. 93-3498. Washington, DC: Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print Off., 1995.

Pomerleau, O.F.; Collins, A.C.; Shiffman, S.; and Pomerleau, C.S. Why some people smoke and others do not: new perspectives. J Consult Clin Psychol 61:723-731, 1993.

The Smoking Cessation Clinical Practice Guideline Panel and Staff. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research smoking cessation clinical practice guidelines. JAMA 275:1270-1280, 1996.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "Preliminary Results from the 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse." SAMHSA, 1997.

[Nicotine Addiction Report Index] << Effective Treatments for Nicotine Addiction