9781422273913

The down side of stimulants is that a short burst of energy is followed by a “crash” when the stimulant wears off. After the stimulant wears off, the reward is gone, and users may feel tired and even depressed. They then start thinking about using more of the stimulant to feel good again. This cycle of highs and lows makes stimulants very addictive. Over time, the body becomes accustomed to the presence of the drug; this phenomenon is called tolerance. When tolerance develops, users need increasingly higher doses to achieve the good feeling they used to experience. That’s also why users tend to feel pretty bad when the drug is taken away—if the person tries to quit, for instance—because the body expects to receive a chemical that it suddenly isn’t getting. This unpleasant experience is called withdrawal. Although nicotine is legal to use (among people over 18), it nonetheless ranks as one of the most addictive of all drugs. This is partly because nicotine gets into the bloodstream quickly but doesn’t linger long, which leaves the user constantly craving more. Also, there are a lot of social and psychological factors at play. Having a cigarette gives anxious people something to do with their hands, for example, while taking a “smoke break” can provide a respite from a hectic day. For many people, smoking isn’t just about the stimulant effect—the activity of smoking itself becomes a “crutch” that helps them in times of stress. The psychologist Dr. Sharon Hall told the New York Times that “heroin addicts say it is easier to give up dope than it is to give up smoking.” This is why so many people remain addicted to smoking despite the clear dangers.

Understanding Tobacco and Nicotine

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