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rom the director:Tobacco use kills approximately
440,000 Americans each year, with
one in every fve U.S. deaths the result
o smoking. Smoking harms nearly
every organ in the body, causes many
diseases, and compromises smokers
health in general. Nicotine, a compo-
nent o tobacco, is the primary reason
that tobacco is addictive, although
cigarette smoke contains many other
dangerous chemicals, including tar,
carbon monoxide, acetaldehyde,
nitrosamines, and more.
An improved overall understanding
o addiction and o nicotine as an
addictive drug has been instrumen-
tal in developing medications and
behavioral treatments or tobacco
addiction. For example, the nicotine
patch and gum, now readily avail-
able at drugstores and supermarkets
nationwide, have proven eective or
smoking cessation when combined
with behavioral therapy.
Advanced neuroimaging technolo-
gies make it possible or researchers
to observe changes in brain unction
that result rom smoking tobacco.
Researchers are now also identiy-
ing genes that predispose people to
tobacco addiction and predict their
response to smoking cessation treat-
ments. These fndingsand many
other recent research accomplish-
mentspresent unique opportunities
to discover, develop, and disseminate
new treatments or tobacco addiction,
as well as scientifcally based pre-
vention programs to help curtail the
public health burden that tobacco
use represents.
We hope this Research Reportwill
help readers understand the harmul
eects o tobacco use and identiy
best practices or the prevention and
treatment o tobacco addiction.
Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse
TobaccoAddiction
What are
the medical
consequences
o tobacco use?
See page 4.
continued inside
According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use
and Health, an estimated 70.9 million Americans aged
12 or older reported current use o tobacco 60.1
million (24.2 percent o the population) were current cigarette
smokers, 13.3 million (5.4 percent) smoked cigars, 8.1 million
(3.2 percent) used smokeless tobacco, and 2 million (0.8 percent)
smoked pipes, conrming that tobacco is one o the most widely
abused substances in the United States. Although the numbers
o people who smoke are still unacceptably high, according
What Are the Extent and
Impact o Tobacco Use?
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Research Report Series
to the Centers or Disease
Control and Prevention there
has been a decline o almost50 percent since 1965.
NIDAs 2008 Monitoring the
Future survey o 8th-, 10th-, and
12th-graders, which is used to track
drug use patterns and attitudes, has
also shown a striking decrease
in smoking trends among the
Nations youth. The latest results
indicate that about 7 percent o
8th-graders, 12 percent o
10th-graders, and 20 percent o
12th-graders had used cigarettes in
the 30 days prior to the surveythe lowest levels in the history o
the survey.
The declining prevalence o
cigarette smoking among the
general U.S. population, how-
ever, is not refected in patients
with mental illnesses. The rate o
smoking in patients suering rompost-traumatic stress disorder,
bipolar disorder, major depression,
and other mental illness is two- to
ourold higher than in the general
population; and among people
with schizophrenia, smoking
rates as high as 90 percent
have been reported.
Tobacco use is the leading
preventable cause o death in the
United States. The impact o
tobacco use in terms o morbidityand mortality to society is staggering.
Economically, more than
$96 billion o total U.S. health
care costs each year are
attributable directly to smoking.
However, this is well below the
total cost to society because it
does not include burn care romsmoking-related res, perinatal
care or low-birthweight inants o
mothers who smoke, and medical
care costs associated with disease
caused by secondhand smoke.
In addition to health care costs,
the costs o lost productivity due
to smoking eects are estimated
at $97 billion per year, bringing
a conservative estimate o the
economic burden o smoking to
more than $193 billion per year.
How Does
Tobacco Deliver
Its Eects?There are more than 4,000
chemicals ound in the smoke
o tobacco products. O these,
nicotine, rst identied in the
early 1800s, is the primary rein-
orcing component o tobacco.
Cigarette smoking is themost popular method o using
tobacco; however, there has also
been a recent increase in the
use o smokeless tobacco prod-
ucts, such as snu and chewing
tobacco. These smokeless prod-
ucts also contain nicotine, as
well as many toxic chemicals.
The cigarette is a very ecient
and highly engineered drug deliv-
ery system. By inhaling tobacco
smoke, the average smoker takes
in 12 mg o nicotine per ciga-
rette. When tobacco is smoked,
nicotine rapidly reaches peak
levels in the bloodstream and
enters the brain. A typical smoker
will take 10 pus on a cigarette
over a period o 5 minutes that
Tobacco
Addiction
2 NIDA Research Report Series
12th grade
10th grade
8th grade
20072008200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992
Source: University of Michigan, 2008 Monitoring the Future Survey.
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Percent
Reporting
Use
Trends in Prevalence o Cigarette Use
or 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-GradersPercentage of Students Using Cigarettes Over a 30-Day Period, 19922008
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the cigarette is lit. Thus, a person
who smokes about 1 packs (30
cigarettes) daily gets 300 hits o
nicotine to the brain each day. In
those who typically do not inhale
the smokesuch as cigar and pipe
smokers and smokeless tobaccousersnicotine is absorbed
through the mucosal membranes
and reaches peak blood levels
and the brain more slowly.
Immediately ater exposure
to nicotine, there is a kick
caused in part by the drugs
stimulation o the adrenal glands
and resulting discharge o
epinephrine (adrenaline).
The rush o adrenaline stimu-
lates the body and causes an
increase in blood pressure,respiration, and heart rate.
Is Nicotine
Addictive?Yes. Most smokers use tobacco
regularly because they are addicted
to nicotine. Addiction is charac-
terized by compulsive drug seek-
ing and abuse, even in the ace
o negative health consequences.It is well documented that most
smokers identiy tobacco use
as harmul and express a desire
to reduce or stop using it, and
nearly 35 million o them want
to quit each year. Unortunately,
more than 85 percent o those
who try to quit on their own
relapse, most within a week.
Research has shown how nico-
tine acts on the brain to produce
a number o eects. O primary
importance to its addictive natureare ndings that nicotine activates
reward pathwaysthe brain cir-
cuitry that regulates eelings o
pleasure. A key brain chemical
involved in mediating the desire to
consume drugs is the neurotrans-
mitter dopamine, and research
has shown that nicotine increases
levels o dopamine in the reward
circuits. This reaction is similar to
that seen with other drugs o abuse
and is thought to underlie the plea-
surable sensations experienced by
many smokers. For many tobaccousers, long-term brain changes
induced by continued nicotine
exposure result in addiction.
Nicotines pharmacokinetic
properties also enhance its abuse
potential. Cigarette smoking
produces a rapid distribution o
nicotine to the brain, with drug
levels peaking within 10 seconds
o inhalation. However, the
acute eects o nicotine dissipate
quickly, as do the associated eel-
ings o reward, which causes thesmoker to continue dosing to
maintain the drugs pleasurable
eects and prevent withdrawal.
Nicotine withdrawal symp-
toms include irritability, craving,
depression, anxiety, cognitive
and attention decits, sleep dis-
turbances, and increased appe-
tite. These symptoms may begin
within a ew hours ater the last
cigarette, quickly driving people
back to tobacco use. Symptoms
peak within the rst ew days osmoking cessation and usually
subside within a ew weeks. For
some people, however, symp-
toms may persist or months.
Although withdrawal is related
to the pharmacological eects
o nicotine, many behavioral
actors can also aect the sever-
ity o withdrawal symptoms. For
some people, the eel, smell, and
sight o a cigarette and the ritual
o obtaining, handling, lighting,
and smoking the cigarette are all
associated with the pleasurable
eects o smoking and can make
withdrawal or craving worse.
Nicotine replacement therapies
such as gum, patches, and inhalers
may help alleviate the pharma-
cological aspects o withdrawal;however, cravings oten persist.
Behavioral therapies can help smok-
ers identiy environmental triggers
o craving so they can employ
strategies to prevent or circum-
vent these symptoms and urges.
Tobacco plants
Most smokers
identiy tobacco
use as harmul and
express a desireto reduce or stop
using it, and nearly
35 million want to
quit each year.
NIDA Research Report Series 3
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Are There Other
Chemicals That
May Contribute
to Tobacco
Addiction?Yes, research is showing that nico-
tine may not be the only ingredient
in tobacco that aects its addictive
potential. Using advanced neuro-
imaging technology, scientists can
see the dramatic eect o cigarette
smoking on the brain and are nd-
ing a marked decrease in the levels
o monoamine oxidase (MAO), an
important enzyme that is respon-
sible or the breakdown o dop-
amine. This change is likely causedby some ingredient in tobacco
smoke other than nicotine, because
we know that nicotine itsel does
not dramatically alter MAO lev-
els. The decrease in two orms
o MAO (A and B) results in
higher dopamine levels and may
be another reason that smokers
continue to smoketo sustain the
high dopamine levels that lead to
the desire or repeated drug use.
Animal studies by NIDA-
unded researchers have shownthat acetaldehyde, another
chemical ound in tobacco
smoke, dramatically increases
the reinorcing properties o
nicotine and may also contribute
to tobacco addiction. The inves-
tigators urther report that this
eect is age-related: adolescent
animals display ar more sensi-
tivity to this reinorcing eect,
which suggests that the brains
o adolescents may be more vul-
nerable to tobacco addiction.
What Are
the Medical
Consequences
o Tobacco Use?Cigarette smoking kills an esti-
mated 440,000 U.S. citizens each
yearmore than alcohol, illegal
drug use, homicide, suicide, car
accidents, and AIDS combined.
Between 1964 and 2004, more
than 12 million Americans diedprematurely rom smoking, and
another 25 million U.S. smok-
ers alive today will most likely
die o a smoking-related illness.
Cigarette smoking harms nearly
every organ in the body. It has been
conclusively linked to cataracts and
pneumonia, and accounts or about
one-third o all cancer deaths. The
overall rates o death rom cancer
are twice as high among smokers
as nonsmokers, with heavy smok-
ers having rates that are our times
greater than those o nonsmok-
ers. Foremost among the cancers
caused by tobacco use is lungcancercigarette smoking has
been linked to about 90 percent o
all cases o lung cancer, the number
one cancer killer o both men and
women. Smoking is also associated
with cancers o the mouth, phar-
ynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach,
pancreas, cervix, kidney, bladder,
and acute myeloid leukemia.
In addition to cancer, smok-
ing causes lung diseases such as
chronic bronchitis and emphysema,
and it has been ound to exacerbateasthma symptoms in adults and
children. About 90 percent o all
deaths rom chronic obstructive
pulmonary diseases are attribut-
able to cigarette smoking. It has
also been well documented that
smoking substantially increases
the risk o heart disease, includ-
ing stroke, heart attack, vascular
Nicotine replacement
therapies such as gum,
patches, and inhalers
may help alleviate
the pharmacological
aspects o withdrawal.
Using advanced neuroimaging technology, scientists can see the dramatic eect o
cigarette smoking on the brain and body and are fnding a marked decrease in the
levels o monoamine oxidase (MAO B), an important enzyme that is responsible or
the breakdown o dopamine. (Source: Fowler et al., 2003)
NIDA Research Report Series4
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disease, and aneurysm. Smok-
ing causes coronary heart dis-ease, the leading cause o death
in the United States: cigarette
smokers are 24 times more
likely to develop coronary heart
disease than nonsmokers.
Exposure to high doses o
nicotine, such as those ound in
some insecticide sprays, can be
extremely toxic as well, caus-
ing vomiting, tremors, convul-
sions, and death. In act, one
drop o pure nicotine can kill
a person. Nicotine poisoninghas been reported rom acci-
dental ingestion o insecticides
by adults and ingestion o
tobacco products by children
and pets. Death usually results
in a ew minutes rom respira-
tory ailure caused by paralysis.
Although we oten think
o medical consequences thatresult rom direct use o tobacco
products, passive or secondary
smoke also increases the risk or
many diseases. Environmental
tobacco smoke is a major source
o indoor air contaminants; sec-
ondhand smoke is estimated to
cause approximately 3,000 lung
cancer deaths per year among
nonsmokers and contributes to
more than 35,000 deaths related
to cardiovascular disease. Expo-
sure to tobacco smoke in thehome is also a risk actor or
new cases and increased sever-
ity o childhood asthma. Addi-
tionally, dropped cigarettes are
the leading cause o residential
re atalities, leading to more
than 1,000 deaths each year.
Sticky, brown tar coats the
lungs o tobacco smokers.
Along with thousands o
other damaging chemicals,
tar can lead to lung cancer
and acute respiratory
diseases.
NIDA Research Report Series 5
Are There
Sae Tobacco
Products?
The adverse health eects o
tobacco use are well known,
yet many people do not want to
quit or have diculty quitting.
As a result, there has been a
recent surge in the development
o tobacco products that claim
to reduce exposure to harmul
tobacco constituents or to have
ewer health risks than conven-
tional products. These poten-
tially reduced exposure products
(PREPs), which include cigarettes
and smokeless tobacco (e.g.,
snu, tobacco lozenges), have not
yet been evaluated suciently
to determine whether they are
indeed associated with reduced
risk o disease. Recent studies
indicate that the levels o carcino-
gens in these PREPs range rom
relatively low to comparable to
conventional tobacco products.
These studies conclude that
medicinal nicotine (ound in the
nicotine patch and gum) is a saer
alternative than these modied
tobacco products.
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Smoking and
PregnancyWhat Are
the Risks?In the United States, it is esti-
mated that about 16 percent o
pregnant women smoke during
their pregnancies. Carbon mon-
oxide and nicotine rom tobacco
smoke may interere with the oxy-
gen supply to the etus. Nicotine
also readily crosses the placenta,
and concentrations in the etuscan be as much as 15 percent
higher than maternal levels.
Nicotine concentrates in etal
blood, amniotic fuid, and breast
milk. Combined, these actors
can have severe consequences
or the etuses and inants o
smoking mothers. Smoking
during pregnancy caused an
estimated 910 inant deaths
annually rom 1997 through 2001,and neonatal care costs related
to smoking are estimated to be
more than $350 million per year.
The adverse eects o smoking
during pregnancy can include etal
growth retardation and decreased
birthweight. The decreased birth-
weights seen in inants o mothers
who smoke refect a dose-depen-
dent relationshipthe more the
woman smokes during pregnancy,
the greater the reduction o inant
birthweight. These newbornsalso display signs o stress and
drug withdrawal consistent
with what has been reported in
inants exposed to other drugs.
In some cases, smoking during
pregnancy may be associated
with spontaneous abortions and
sudden inant death syndrome
(SIDS), as well as learningand behavioral problems and
an increased risk o obesity in
children. In addition, smoking
more than one pack a day dur-
ing pregnancy nearly doubles
the risk that the aected child
will become addicted to tobacco
i that child starts smoking.
There is clear evidence o high rates o psychiatric
comorbidity, including other substance abuse,
among adolescents and adults who smoke. For
example, it has been estimated that individuals
with psychiatric disorders purchase approximately44 percent o all cigarettes sold in the United States,
which undoubtedly contributes to the disproportion-
ate rates o morbidity and mortality in these popula-
tions. In addition, studies have shown that as many
as 80 percent o alcoholics smoke regularly, and that
a majority o them will die o smoking-related, rather
than alcohol-related, disease.
In young smokers, the behavior appears to be
strongly associated with increased risk or a variety
o mental disorders. In some casessuch as with
conduct disorders and attention-decit hyperactivity
disorderthese disorders may precede the onset osmoking, while in otherssuch as with substance
abusethe disorders may emerge later in lie.
Whether daily smoking among boys and girls is the
result or the cause o a maniest psychiatric condition,
it is troubling that so very ew adolescents have their
nicotine dependence diagnosed or properly treated.
Preventing the early onset o smoking and treating its
young victims are critical primary-care priorities, the
ulllment o which could have a dramatic impact on
our ability to prevent or better address a wide rangeo mental disorders throughout lie.
Among adults, the rate o major depressive epi-
sodes is highest in nicotine-dependent individuals,
lower in nondependent current smokers, and lowest
in those who quit or never started smoking. Further-
more, there is evidence showing that, or those who
have had more than one episode, smoking cessation
may increase the likelihood o a new major depres-
sive episode. Adult tobacco use also increases
risk or the later development o anxiety disorders,
which may be associated with an increased severity
o withdrawal symptoms during smoking cessationtherapy. But the most extensive comorbidity overlap
is likely the one that exists between smoking and
schizophrenia, since, in clinical samples, the rate o
smoking in patients with schizophrenia has ranged
as high as 90 percent.
Tobacco Use and Comorbidity
NIDA Research Report Series6
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Smoking and Adolescence
In 2007, more than 3 million American adolescents (aged 1217) reported
using a tobacco product in the month prior to the survey. In that same
year it was ound that nearly 60 percent o new smokers were under
the age o 18 when they rst smoked a cigarette. O smokers under 18,
more than 6 million will likely die prematurely rom a smoking-relateddisease.
Tobacco use in teens is not only the result o psychosocial infuences,
such as peer pressure; recent research suggests that there may be bio-
logical reasons or this period o increased vulnerability. There is some
evidence that intermittent smoking can result in the development o
tobacco addiction in some teens. Animal models o teen smoking pro-
vide additional evidence o an increased vulnerability. Adolescent rats
are more susceptible to the reinorcing eects o nicotine than adult
rats, and take more nicotine when it is available than do adult animals.
Adolescents may also be more sensitive to the reinorcing eects o
nicotine in combination with other chemicals ound in cigarettes, thusincreasing susceptibility to tobacco addiction. As mentioned above,
acetaldehyde increases nicotines addictive properties in adolescent,
but not adult, animals. A recent study also suggests that specic genes
may increase risk or addiction among people who begin smoking during
adolescence. NIDA continues to actively support research aimed
at increasing our understanding o why and how adolescents become
addicted, and to develop prevention and treatment strategies to meet
their specic needs.
Are There Gender
Dierences
in Tobacco
Smoking?Several avenues o research now
indicate that men and women
dier in their smoking behaviors.
For instance, women smoke ewer
cigarettes per day, tend to use
cigarettes with lower nicotine con-
tent, and do not inhale as deeply
as men. However, it is unclear
whether this is due to dierences
in sensitivity to nicotine or other
actors that aect women dier-
ently, such as social actors or
the sensory aspects o smoking.The number o smokers in the
United States declined in the 1970s
and 1980s, remained relatively
stable throughout the 1990s, and
Large-scale smoking
cessation trials show
that women are
less likely to initiate
quitting and may be
more likely to relapse
i they do quit.
NIDA Research Report Series 7
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declined urther through the early
2000s. Because this decline in
smoking was greater among men
than women, the prevalence o
smoking is only slightly higher or
men today than it is or women.
Several actors appear to be
contributing to this narrowing
gender gap, including women
being less likely than men to quit.
Large-scale smoking cessation
trials show that women are less
likely to initiate quitting and may
be more likely to relapse i they
do quit. In cessation programs
using nicotine replacement meth-
ods, such as the patch or gum, the
nicotine does not seem to reduce
craving as eectively or womenas or men. Other actors that
may contribute to womens di-
culty with quitting are that with-
drawal may be more intense or
women or that women are more
concerned about weight gain.
Although postcessation weight
gain is typically modest (about
510 pounds), concerns about this
may be an obstacle to treatment
success. In act, NIDA research
has ound that when womens
weight concerns were addressed
during cognitive-behavioral
therapy, they were more success-ul at quitting than women who
were in a program designed only
to attenuate postcessation weight
gain. Other NIDA researchers
have ound that medications
used or smoking cessation,
such as bupropion and naltrex-
one, can also attenuate postces-
sation weight gain and could
become an additional strategy
or enhancing treatment success.
It is important or treatment
proessionals to be aware thatstandard regimens may have to be
adjusted to compensate or gender
dierences in nicotine sensitivity
and in other related actors that
contribute to continued smoking.
Are There
Eective
Treatments
or TobaccoAddiction?Yes, extensive research has shown
that treatments or tobacco
addiction do work. Although
some smokers can quit without
help, many individuals need
assistance with quitting. This is
particularly important because
smoking cessation can have
immediate health benets. For
example, within 24 hours o
quitting, blood pressure andchances o heart attack decrease.
Long-term benets o smoking
cessation include decreased risk
o stroke, lung and other cancers,
and coronary heart disease.
A 35-year-old man who quits
smoking will, on average, increase
his lie expectancy by 5 years.
Nicotine Replacement
Treatments
Nicotine replacement therapies
(NRTs), such as nicotine gum and
the transdermal nicotine patch,
were the rst pharmacological
treatments approved by the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA)or use in smoking cessation ther-
apy. NRTs are used (in conjunction
with behavioral support) to relieve
withdrawal symptomsthey
produce less severe physiological
alterations than tobacco-based
systems and generally provide
users with lower overall nico-
tine levels than they receive with
tobacco. An added benet is that
these orms o nicotine have little
abuse potential since they do not
produce the pleasurable eectso tobacco products, nor do they
contain the carcinogens and gases
associated with tobacco smoke.
Behavioral treatments, even beyond
what is recommended on packag-
ing labels, have been shown to
enhance the eectiveness o NRTs
and improve long-term outcomes.
The FDAs approval o nicotine
gum in 1984 marked the avail-
ability (by prescription) o the rst
NRT on the U.S. market. In 1996,
the FDA approved Nicorette gum
or over-the-counter (OTC) sales.
Whereas nicotine gum provides
some smokers with the desired
control over dose and the ability to
relieve cravings, others are unable
to tolerate the taste and chewing
demands. In 1991 and 1992, the
FDA approved our transdermal
Smoking cessation can
have immediate health
benefts. For example,
within 24 hours o
quitting, blood pressureand chances o heart
attack decrease.
NIDA Research Report Series8
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nicotine patches, two o which
became OTC products in 1996.
In 1996 a nicotine nasal spray,
and in 1998 a nicotine inhaler,
also became available by prescrip-
tion, thus meeting the needs o
many additional tobacco users.All the NRT products gum,
patch, spray, and inhaler appear
to be equally eective.
Additional Medications
Although the primary ocus o
pharmacological treatments or
tobacco addiction has been nico-
tine replacement, other treatments
are also available. For example,
the antidepressant bupropion was
approved by the FDA in 1997 to
help people quit smoking and ismarketed as Zyban. Varenicline
tartrate (Chantix) is a medica-
tion that recently received FDA
approval or smoking cessation.
This medication, which acts at
the sites in the brain aected by
nicotine, may help people quit
by easing withdrawal symptoms
and blocking the eects o nico-
tine i people resume smoking.
Several other nonnicotine
medications are being investigated
or the treatment o tobacco addic-
tion, including other antidepres-
sants and an antihypertensive
medication. Scientists are also
investigating the potential o a
vaccine that targets nicotine or
use in relapse prevention. The
nicotine vaccine is designed to
stimulate the production o anti-
bodies that would block access o
nicotine to the brain and prevent
nicotines reinorcing eects.
Behavioral Treatments
Behavioral interventions play an
integral role in smoking cessation
treatment, either in conjunction
with medication or alone. A vari-
ety o methods can assist smok-
ers with quitting, ranging rom
sel-help materials to individual
cognitive-behavioral therapy. These
interventions teach individuals to
recognize high-risk smoking situ-
ations, develop alternative coping
strategies, manage stress, improveproblemsolving skills, and increase
social support. Research has also
shown that the more therapy is
tailored to a persons situation, the
greater the chances are or success.
Traditionally, behavioral
approaches were developed and
delivered through ormal settings,
such as smoking cessation clin-
ics and community and public
health settings. Over the past
decade, however, researchers have
been adapting these approaches
or mail, telephone, and Internet
ormats, which can be more accept-
able and accessible to smokers
who are trying to quit. In 2004,
the U.S. Department o Health
and Human Services (HHS) estab-
lished a national toll-ree number,
800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669),
to serve as a single access point
or smokers seeking inormation
and assistance in quitting. Callersto the number are routed to their
States smoking cessation quitline
or, in States that have not estab-
lished quitlines, to one maintained
by the National Cancer Institute.
In addition, a new HHS Web site
(www.smokefree.gov) oers online
advice and downloadable inorma-
tion to make cessation easier.
Quitting smoking can be
dicult. People can be helped
during the time an intervention
is delivered; however, most inter-
vention programs are short-term
(13 months). Within 6 months,
7580 percent o people who try
to quit smoking relapse. Research
has now shown that extending
treatment beyond the typical
duration o a smoking cessation
program can produce quit rates
as high as 50 percent at 1 year.
NIDA Research Report Series 9
Twin studies indicate
that approximately
4070 percent o
a persons risk o
becoming addicted
to nicotine depends
on his or her genes.
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New Frontiers
in Tobacco
ResearchI so many smokers want to quit,
why are ew able to do so success-ully? To address this question,
scientists are increasingly ocusing
on the powerul role o genetics in
addiction. Twin studies indicate
that approximately 4070 percent
o a persons risk o becoming
addicted to nicotine depends on
his or her genes. Although complex
diseases like addiction involve large
numbers o genes interacting with
a wide variety o environmental
actors, the contribution o a
particular gene can be substantial:
Genetic variants associated with
nicotine metabolism, or example,
have been shown to infuence
how people smoke such that slow
metabolizers smoke ewer ciga-
rettes per day and have a higher
likelihood o quitting, and thatthere is greater abstinence among
individuals receiving nicotine
patch therapy. A recent NIDA-
unded study identied a variant
in the gene or a nicotinic receptor
subunit that doubled the risk or
nicotine addiction among smokers.
A subsequent study ound that this
gene variant also increased suscep-
tibility to the severe health con-
sequences o smoking, including
lung cancer and peripheral arterial
disease. NIDA is currently support-ing large-scale genome-wide associ-
ation studies to uncover additional
genetic risk actors in order to bet-
ter understand tobacco addiction
and its adverse eects on health.
In addition to predicting an
individuals risk or nicotine
addiction, genetic markers canalso help predict whether medica-
tions (like bupropion) will eec-
tively help a smoker quit. This
takes root in the emerging eld
o pharmacogenomics, which
investigates how genes infuence
a patients response to drugs and
medications. In the uture, genetic
screening could help clinicians
select treatments, adjust dosages,
and avoid or minimize adverse
reactions, tailoring smoking ces-
sation therapies to an individualsunique genetic inheritance.
Glossary
Addiction: A chronic, relapsing
disease characterized by compul-
sive drug seeking and abuse andby long-lasting neurochemical and
molecular changes in the brain.
Adrenal glands: Glands located
above each kidney that secrete
hormones, e.g., adrenaline.
Craving: A powerul, oten uncon-
trollable desire or drugs.
Dopamine: A neurotransmitter
present in regions o the brain thatregulate movement, emotion, mo-
tivation, and eelings o pleasure.
Emphysema: A lung disease in
which tissue deterioration results
in increased air retention and
reduced exchange o gases. The
result is difculty breathing and
shortness o breath.
Neurotransmitter: A chemical that
acts as a messenger to carry sig-
nals or inormation rom one nerve
cell to another.
Nicotine: An alkaloid derived rom
the tobacco plant that is primarily
responsible or smokings psycho-
active and addictive eects.
Pharmacokinetics: The pattern
o absorption, distribution, and
excretion o a drug over time.
Tobacco: A plant widely cultivated
or its leaves, which are used pri-
marily or smoking; the N. tabacum
species is the major source o
tobacco products.
Withdrawal: A variety o symp-
toms that occur ater chronic use
o an addictive drug is reduced
or stopped.
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Reerences
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NIDA Research Report Series 11
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12/12
NIH Publication Number 09-4342
Printed July 1998, Reprinted August 2001, Revised July 2006,
Revised June 2009
Feel ree to reprint this publication.
Where Can I Get More Scientifc Inormation on
Tobacco Addiction?
To learn more about tobacco and other drugs o
abuse, or to order materials on these topics ree
o charge in English or Spanish, visit the NIDAWeb site at www.drugabuse.gov or contact
the DrugPubs Research Dissemination Center
at 877-NIDA-NIH (877-643-2644;
TTY/TDD: 240-645-0228).
Whats New on the NIDA Web Site
Informationondrugsofabuse
Publicationsandcommunications(including NIDA Notes and Addiction
Science & Clinical Practice journal)
Calendarofevents
LinkstoNIDAorganizationalunits
Fundinginformation(includingprogram
announcements and deadlines)
Internationalactivities
LinkstorelatedWebsites(accesstoWebsites
o many other organizations in the eld)
NIDA Web Sites
drugabuse.gov
backtoschool.drugabuse.govsmoking.drugabuse.gov
teens.drugabuse.gov
For Physician Information
www.drugabuse.gov/nidamed
Other Web Sites
Inormation on tobacco addiction is also
available through these other Web sites:
CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention:
www.cdc.gov/tobacco
NationalCancerInstitute:www.cancer.gov
U.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices:
www.smokefree.gov
SubstanceAbuseandMentalHealthServices
Administration Health Inormation Network:
www.samhsa.gov/shin
SocietyforResearchonNicotineandTobacco:
www.srnt.org
NicNet:www.nicnet.org
TheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundation:
www.rwjf.org
JoinTogetherOnline:www.quitnet.org
AmericanLegacyFoundation:
www.americanlegacy.org
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