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Tobacco (& Nicotine)

(for detailed information, please go to the first Arabic website specialised in addiction:
idmanhelp com
For the English version, please click on the British flag on the banner of the main page of the Arabic website)
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotania. Tobacco has been growing on the American continent since about 6000 BC and began being used by native cultures at about 3000 BC. It has been smoked in one form or another since about 2000 BC. Cigarette smoking is a major preventable cause of disease worldwide, and it is the major cause of premature death in the world. It is important risk factor of mortality in atherosclerotic vascular disease, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking also can contribute to other diseases, eg, histiocytosis X, respiratory bronchiolitis, obstructive sleep apnea, idiopathic pneumothorax, low birth weight, and perinatal mortality.
Tobacco addiction, the second-leading cause of death in the world, Currently, about 1.3 billion smokers live in the world; most (84%) live in developing countries (Esson, 2004). With the present smoking trends, tobacco will kill 10 million people each year by 2020 (WHO, 2005). Through direct healthcare costs and loss of productivity from death and illness, tobacco will cost governments an estimated US $200 billion per year. A third of these costs will be borne by the developing countries. Many factors have led to increased global smoking rates. These include trade liberalization; direct foreign investment; global marketing; transnational tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; and international tobacco smuggling.

Research investigating why people smoke has shown that smoking behavior is multifaceted. Factors influencing smoking initiation differ from those of smoking behavior maintenance. Nicotine dependence, genetic factors, and psychosocial factors influence maintenance of smoking behavior.

What is nicotine?
Nicotine is named after the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum, which in turn is named after Jean Nicot, the French ambassador in Portugal, who sent tobacco and seeds from Brazil to Paris in 1560 and promoted their medicinal use. Nicotine was first isolated from the tobacco plant in 1828 by German chemistry scientist Posselt & Reimann.

Chemistry of nicotine:
Nicotine is a hygroscopic (has the ability of a substance to attract water molecules from the surrounding environment.). It is oily liquid that is miscible with water in its baase form. As a nitrogenous base, nicotine forms salts with acids that are usually solid and water soluble. Nicotine easily penetrates the skin. As shown by the physical data, free base nicotine will burn at a temperature below its boiling point, and its vapors will combust at 95 °F in air despite a low vapor pressure. Because of this, most of the nicotine is burned when a cigarette is smoked; however, enough is inhaled to provide the desired effects

Addiction on nicotine:
Nicotine is one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the world. It meets the criteria of a highly addictive drug. Nicotine is a potent psychoactive drug that induces euphoria, serves as a reinforcer of its use, and leads to nicotine withdrawal syndrome when it is absent. As an addictive drug, nicotine has 2 very potent issues: it is a stimulant and it is also a depressant. For example, one smoker talked too lovingly about her cigarettes who are called her "best friend." They got her going in the morning, and they chilled her out during the day.

Nicotine in cigarette smoke affects mood and performance and is the source of addiction to tobacco. While cigarette manufacturers have publicly denied that nicotine is an addictive drug, recent documents disclose that they have known and used the addictive properties of nicotine since the 1950s. Unfortunately, this misinformation led to the false belief that nicotine use is a habit and not an addiction.
All health care professionals should be aware of the risks of tobacco smoking, understand tobacco addiction, and assist patients with smoking cessation.
(for detailed information, please go to the first Arabic website specialised in addiction:
idmanhelp com
For the English version, please click on the British flag on the banner of the main page of the Arabic website)

Dr Ala Fadhil