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better understand how their body is being used against them and the beneficial ways that they can interrupt this harmful process. “The majority of smokers would like to stop smoking, and each year about half try to quit permanently,” says the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Yet, only about 6 percent of smokers are able to quit in a given year. Most smokers will need to make multiple attempts before they are able to quit permanently.” Various types of medications can help manage addiction, such as varenicline, antidepressants like bupropion, or nicotine-replacement therapy. But why is medical treatment like this necessary for nicotine abuse? Unfortunately, addiction is not just a psychological problem but also a physical one due to the impact that the drug can have on the body and mind, particularly its effect on hormones . For example, nicotine causes a quick rush of hormones, known as “endorphins,” in the brain. These hormones produce positive feelings throughout the body. When a person exercises or eats certain high- calorie foods, the body releases endorphins as a reward. Unfortunately, nicotine use also causes the brain to release endorphins. Endorphins, in turn, affect the neurotransmitters in the brain by releasing higher levels of dopamine, another hormone that causes pleasure. Regular nicotine users come to rely on these heavy releases of hormones in order to feel normal. When they don’t use nicotine, they are likely to experience withdrawal symptoms that can be unpleasant and hard to tolerate for very long. This addictive potential is particularly high with nicotine because of its short half-life in the body. This term refers to how long a chemical or drug stays in a person’s body before it is metabolized. Some drugs, such as alcohol, have very long half-lives, which can cause effects that last for hours. However, nicotine has one of the shortest half-lives of any drug—the effects of nicotine may last only minutes or even seconds in the body of a heavy user who has become more tolerant of the drug.

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The Addictive Effects of Nicotine