Overcoming Addiction

Using any form of tobacco, including smoking cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, or chewing tobacco or using snuff, may lead to addiction.

• The substance in tobacco that causes addiction is called nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant that causes us to temporarily feel good or energized. It also causes the release of natural chemicals in our brain that cause us to feel more alert and calm.
• The problem is that nicotine isn't stored in the body so these effects last only a few minutes. We need to take in more and more nicotine to make the effects last. If we use nicotine long enough, our brain may compensate and lower our natural energy level or mood. So, instead of providing a temporary high, people smoke just to feel "normal". When some people go without tobacco for more than a few hours, they may experience symptoms of withdrawal such as lack of energy, slight depression, and difficulty concentrating. They smoke to avoid feeling this way.
• The good news is that if you quit smoking or chewing for good, withdrawal symptoms will pass within a few days. This is evidence that your brain has begun to heal itself.

Smoking is also a learned behaviour. We learn to associate things such as the way we hold or light a cigarette or take it out of the package with the pleasant feelings or sense of relief that it brings us. We also learn to associate having a cigarette with other things we do immediately before or after smoking, such as drinking coffee, alcohol, or eating a good meal. Because smoking often requires us to take a break from our daily duties, we may also learn to associate smoking with the temporary relief of worry, tension, boredom or fatigue. We may also associate smoking with having a good time with friends. The good news is, with practice and preparation, you can break old behavioural habits and learn new ways of getting the benefits you associate with smoking.

More than half of all people who have ever smoked in Canada have already quit smoking. This includes men and women of all ages and all levels of addiction. For smokers with low levels of addiction, quitting may be relatively easy. However, for others, quitting for good or even reducing the amount you smoke may require some careful planning and learning some new skills. It may even require a few practice attempts before you succeed for good. There are many of effective treatments and programs available to help you. A variety of medications have also proven to be helpful for persons addicted to nicotine. However, remember this: every time you try to quit and learn something about yourself, you are further ahead than you were before.

For more information see our section on addiction to nicotine.