Smoking addiction numbers make no sense to me

[The Crimson Elephant]

Hello there
I would need your help to understand why so many people are addicted to nicotine.
I mean, effects are pretty weak (taken in an western way), it stinks, it's disgusting it's pricey and combustion fucks your lungs.

I would say there are X reasons to why people get into nicotine abuse :
-Tobacco lobbies, propaganda (cf Edward Bernays) and fake scientific studies.
-Movies and the cool smoking guy. I mean, I sometimes smoke on my own just to feel like Mr.Robot, Jean Havoc in FMA or scarface).
-Social integration. Social pressure.
-Trivialization. Let your guard down, find smoking normal and safe.

I don't judge users. It's just that I can't imagine that the cause of addiction are only the nicotine effects.

 

[jasperkent]

For some people, nicotine is incredibly addictive. I was puffing on stolen cigarettes when I was 7 years old-- just playing around, pretending to be a "grown-up."

I started smoking weed at 13, but at that age (and time & place) I did not by any means have a steady supply. But I could easily get cigarettes and when you're not accustomed to nicotine you can catch a little buzz from it. That is the primary reason I started smoking-- it was a substitute for weed.

By the time I was 14, I was a pack-a-day smoker. In college it increased (along with my alcoholism) and I was smoking a pack and a half or more every day for the next 50 years.

Over the years, I've quit alcohol, benzos, cocaine, meth, and opioids, but I was never able to quit cigs until a week ago. And I'm still very dependent on nicotine gum, Grizzly pouches, and a vape pen.

Tobacco is a helluva drug.

 

[The Crimson Elephant]

For some people, nicotine is incredibly addictive. I was puffing on stolen cigarettes when I was 7 years old-- just playing around, pretending to be a "grown-up."

I started smoking weed at 13, but at that age (and time & place) I did not by any means have a steady supply. But I could easily get cigarettes and when you're not accustomed to nicotine you can catch a little buzz from it. That is the primary reason I started smoking-- it was a substitute for weed.

By the time I was 14, I was a pack-a-day smoker. In college it increased (along with my alcoholism) and I was smoking a pack and a half or more every day for the next 50 years.

Over the years, I've quit alcohol, benzos, cocaine, meth, and opioids, but I was never able to quit cigs until a week ago. And I'm still very dependent on nicotine gum, Grizzly pouches, and a vape pen.

Tobacco is a helluva drug.

Thanks for your reply.

I was not questioning the addictive power of nicotine but more like it's potency and effects taken objectively and compared to others addictive substances.

I'm also agreeing with the fact that it can be pretty powerful but only in great quantities and without tolerance.
Some rituals use tobacco to have hallucinations. I mean, when I'm hitting my gandalf pipe, I smoke the equivalent of a cig in 3 hits, it gets me so zooted that I can barely walk.

But what I meant was that, at seven, you certainly wouldnt smoked crack or foil heroin.
I feel like smoking addiction is caused by secondary factors like trivializing nicotine, cultural influence and all.


I get the feeling that have been greatly pushed into nicotine addiction, and that without the strong cultural and social forces, nicotine would be compared to other drugs, the economic weed, or lil-pooper-weed.
I feel like if people were given an objective choice of what mollecule to use, with all the informations and no influence, they definitely wouldn't take nicotine.
It upsets me to see so many people addicted to nicotine because of 10% substance effects, 90% external influences.

*I say all that without an once of judgment*

 

[jasperkent]

I get the feeling that have been greatly pushed into nicotine addiction, and that without the strong cultural and social forces, nicotine would be compared to other drugs, the economic weed, or lil-pooper-weed.
I feel like if people were given an objective choice of what mollecule to use, with all the informations and no influence, they definitely wouldn't take nicotine.
It upsets me to see so many people addicted to nicotine because of 10% substance effects, 90% external influences.

*I say all that without an once of judgment*

I agree with all of that.

I'd also point out that most people, like me, start smoking (or at least start experimenting) at a young age when their neocortexes are still in development. So not only was I immature, impressionable, and irresponsible, but my brain was literally developing under the influence of nicotine-- and not now & then, but daily.

I'm certain that starting tobacco use at an early age is a huge factor in its addictive power.

 

[jasperkent]

I get the feeling that have been greatly pushed into nicotine addiction, and that without the strong cultural and social forces, nicotine would be compared to other drugs, the economic weed, or lil-pooper-weed....

I'm certain that starting tobacco use at an early age is a huge factor in its addictive power.

The companies that sell nicotine delivery products know this very well. That's why we see vape flavors such as cotton candy, bubble gum, and Jolly Ranchers. Get the kids hooked and you'll have lifelong customers (addicts).

 

[Jabberwocky]

I was not questioning the addictive power of nicotine but more like it's potency and effects taken objectively and compared to others addictive substances.

I'm also agreeing with the fact that it can be pretty powerful but only in great quantities and without tolerance.

Nicotine is an extremely impressive nootropic. It is proven to increase various brain metrics, including memory, focus and creativity.

Nicotine has been proven to decrease the symptoms schizophrenia among other things.

If you ignore the addictive potential and harm, it's actually quite an amazing molecule.

It is also a bitch of a habit.

But personally, I consider it more of a "nootropic" than a "drug of abuse". It may be the only addictive nootropic.

I also wonder how addictive it would be if it were completely illegal. I really don't understand when people compare the withdrawals to heroin or whatever. It's not nearly as bad physically. Nicotine withdrawal is like 85% psychological IMO.

 

[jasperkent]

I really don't understand when people compare the withdrawals to heroin or whatever. It's not nearly as bad physically. Nicotine withdrawal is like 85% psychological IMO.

Absolutely.
There's definitely a physiological aspect to it in that intense cravings for a cigarette can be alleviated with nicotine gum or dip-- it's not just the act of smoking that's addictive. But WD symptoms are almost entirely psychological. You're not gonna puke or have a seizure.

 

[The Crimson Elephant]

But personally, I consider it more of a "nootropic" than a "drug of abuse". It may be the only addictive nootropic.

Nootropic (source) :

"[...] They should lack the usual pharmacology of other psychotropic drugs (e.g. sedation, motor stimulation) and possess few adverse effects and low toxicity."

Combustion is too big of a harm to consider nicotine as a nootropic (as I understand the terminology).
Although, in patches or per os, even, vaped, if it doesn't involve habit and abuse, I agree that it can be quite good.

But, as bad as tolerance and withdrawals are, I feel like not being used to nicotine makes me not able to really like its effects.
I either kind of don't feel it, or get stoned to sickness.

 

[Parabolan]

Nicotine is actually good for you. It's the thousands of other chemicals in tobacco smoke that harm you.

 

[brokedownpalace10]

I was not questioning the addictive power of nicotine but more like it's potency and effects taken objectively and compared to others addictive substances.

I feel like smoking addiction is caused by secondary factors like trivializing nicotine, cultural influence and all.

External influences might be additive, but a big reason that people get hooked has a lot to do with the "mild" effects (for want of a better word). It feels pretty darn good and you can do it all day while functioning just fine in your daily life, arguably better. It's a feel good drug that you can do all the time without any repercussions, benefits actually... until it kills you early.

 

[The Crimson Elephant]

External influences might be additive, but a big reason that people get hooked has a lot to do with the "mild" effects (for want of a better word). It feels pretty darn good and you can do it all day while functioning just fine in your daily life, arguably better. It's a feel good drug that you can do all the time without any repercussions, benefits actually... until it kills you early.

For me the biggest repercussion is not being able to be functionning without it.
As for coffee.
It's not a side effect of the substance itself but more like a major downside to our use of it. For me, it takes away all the benefits it it takes your freedom.