Tobacco use is the most common cause of preventable death worldwide. It has been estimated that in the 20th century over 100 million people died due to tobacco use. That is more than the casualty total for WWI and WWII combined!
Nicotine is the chemical that makes tobacco addicting. It was introduced and used in the old world and erroneously prescribed by many turn-of-the-century physicians. Interestingly, E.G White, through inspiration, warned against the use of tobacco, despite its popularity and mainstream acceptance. She wrote “Tobacco is a slow, insidious, but most malignant poison. In whatever form it is used, it tells upon the constitution; it is all the more dangerous because its effects are slow and at first hardly perceptible. It excites and then paralyzes the nerves. It weakens and clouds the brain” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 327.1)
Since the late 1950’s, tobacco has been linked to major chronic diseases. The use of tobacco increases the risk of death by many diseases like cancer, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, and it is the leading cause of millions of premature deaths. Lung cancer is the most common cause of death worldwide. Tobacco not only affects the smoker but second-hand smoke causes decreased fetal birth weight, childhood asthma, upper and lower respiratory infections and heart disease.
Besides nicotine in cigarettes, there are over 7,000 additional chemicals that are toxic to the body and brain, and 70 are known to be cancer causing. Despite this information, cigarette and tobacco use are increasing in adolescent and female population.
Nicotine becomes addictive by attaching to the nicotinic cholinergic receptors in our body and brain, which then produces a variety of brain messaging chemicals, the main one being dopamine. Dopamine controls information transmission, pleasure, and motivation. The more one smokes, the more “pleasure” they receive and this creates excitement and “motivation” to continue smoking; thus the cycle of dependency develops. This validates the above quotation by E.G. White about how “tobacco excites the brain at first and then paralyzes the nerves, weakening and clouding the brain” (Ibid.). Although tobacco at first excites pleasure, studies on mice show a decrease function of the pre-frontal cortex by decreasing blood flow to the brain. This increases the risk of depression and anxiety.
Smoking cessation requires addressing all aspects of the addiction and requires consistent effort and reliable support.
Recent studies show that nicotine addiction varies on a person’s genetic make-up, and their ability to metabolize or break down nicotine. Nicotine is broken down by an enzyme called CYP2A6. Those who have slow acting CYP2A6, break down nicotine much slower and have higher addiction rates than those who have faster nicotine break down. However, it is those who have slow acting CYP2A6 that are also more likely to successfully quit smoking, according to recent research.
Whether you or someone you love is addicted to tobacco smoking, understanding how the addiction forms helps in the intervention and quitting process.
Next week will introduce some tips that may help smoking cessation.
“The Lord God through Jesus Christ holds out His hand all the day long in invitation to the sinful and fallen. He will receive all. He welcomes all. It is His glory to pardon the chief of sinners. He will take the prey from the mighty, He will deliver the captive, He will pluck the brand from the burning. He will lower the golden chain of His mercy to the lowest depths of human wretchedness, and lift up the debased soul contaminated with sin.” MH 161