Nicotine- Who has the Addiction?

Running head: SMOKING - WHO HAS THE ADDICTION?

Smoking - Who has the Addiction?

Kim Avina

Axia College

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Smoking - Who has the Addiction?

There are many problems that we, as a society, have to deal with on a daily basis. Among these problems are numerous persons addicted to nicotine. There are many issues involved when it comes to smoking. There are addiction factors, health problems, lawsuits, and higher taxes, to name a few. So, who is to blame? Is it the tobacco users who are addicted to nicotine? Is it the tobacco companies for hiding truths about the addiction factors? Or is it the government for allowing smoking to continue? Despite the fact that smoking is a leading cause of health related illnesses in the United States, the government and the tobacco companies continue to profit while smokers suffer.

English: Smoking any tobacco product, %, Females

Graph showing the differences in blood concentrati...

English: Smoking any tobacco product, %, Males

The addiction to nicotine comes in many forms. The smoker, the tobacco companies, and the government are all, in a sense, addicted to nicotine. This addiction comes in the form of cigarettes for the smoker and it is in the form of the sale of tobacco for the tobacco companies and the government.

When a smoker takes a puff from a cigarette, the bloodstream quickly absorbs nicotine through the lungs and distributes it throughout the body. In about ten seconds, nicotine reaches nerve-cell "nicotine receptors" in the brain, causing the secretion of dopamine, a chemical that creates feelings of pleasure. Norepinephrine (inducing energy and alertness) and endorphins (causing relaxation and pain relief) are also released, creating the mental clarity and calmness that smokers' enjoy. This is the dangerous habit of cigarette smoking. (Every Day Health, 2007)

Since 1964, the Surgeon Generals' have come out with 28 reports stating that "tobacco...