Nicotine is the harmful, addictive substance found in all tobacco products. When you smoke a cigarette, chew tobacco, or otherwise ingest nicotine, the effects are immediate:
Nicotine travels through the body in the bloodstream and heads straight for the brain, arriving in 7 to 15 seconds.
In the brain, nicotine boosts the “reward center,” releasing chemicals that cause a pleasant, happy feeling.
Adrenaline is then released, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, and making breathing rapid and shallow. As nicotine use continues, these effects can damage your heart, arteries, and lungs, increasing the risk for heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease.
How is nicotine addictive?
Over time, nicotine affects the neurotransmitters in the brain, changing the way certain brain cells work. When one stops using nicotine, the changes remain for a while until the brain can revert back to its normal state. These changes are what cause the withdrawal symptoms characteristic of addiction. In fact, nicotine chemically changes the brain in a similar way to heroin and cocaine, so it’s no wonder so many tobacco users have a hard time quitting!
Once the body is free of nicotine, it no longer works in the same way it did when it had a regular supply of nicotine. It can take as long as 4 to 6 weeks for the brain to readjust to life without nicotine as it “re-learns” how to make the chemicals to stimulate the pleasure centers on its own. It is during this transition period that former nicotine users may crave nicotine or feel irritable, anxious, or depressed. But don’t worry. After some time as the brain heals, these feelings and cravings will go away. If you can fight through cravings, get support, think about medications to help, and use your coping strategies, you will succeed.