One of the hardest things a smoker has to face is on how to quit smoking. Even if this is the most important step, many smokers simply do not want to quit because of the pleasure that they derive from smoking. Perhaps the main reason why smokers have a hard time kicking the habit is the presence of a drug in tobacco called nicotine. This drug is very addicting and can be compared to a drug user’s reliance on cocaine or heroin. His or her dependency is such that unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal are experienced. Even after a smoker has quit, the emotional and physical dependence remains strong that he or she has to deal with it.
For many smokers, nicotine has already embedded itself deep into their system and carried to many parts of their bodies. In fact, inhalation of cigarette smoke will reach the brain more swiftly than prescription drugs that were injected to the body. The effects of nicotine will be felt in a person’s blood vessels, hormones, and heart. Women who smoke will discover that nicotine can be traced to their breast milk that they feed their babies with. Worst, nicotine is often found on the placenta and even the amniotic fluid that connects the umbilical cord to their babies.
It would be very difficult for a person to quit smoking because nicotine already has taken a foothold on his or her body. Furthermore, the drug unleashes pleasant sensations that eliminate negative thoughts. Also, nicotine acts as an anti-depressant and disrupts the function of nerve cells aside from absorbing itself in the blood stream. It will be a dangerous time for a smoker when he becomes tolerant to nicotine. This only means more nicotine should be inhaled to get the same effect.
Furthermore, it is not surprising that a person will smoke two to three packs a day to be able to maintain the level of nicotine in his or her body. The vicious cycle of smoking dependence will continue because nicotine levels will drop after a person stops smoking. He may become irritated if he does not smoke another cigarette so he needs to light another one. By this time, other toxins in cigarettes have entered the body and will cause damage in the long term. The person has to quit smoking because his habit will make him susceptible to diseases such as lung cancer and other ailments that may affect his body.