Tobacco Nicotine

Tobacco/ Nicotine
Name
Institutional Affiliation

Tobacco/ Nicotine
Effects on the Body
Tobacco and specifical nicotine are commonly used as both sedative and stimulant. When used regularly, nicotine has serious negative effects on the body that may have a lasting impact. According to Mishra, et al. (2015), one of the primary effects of regular nicotine ingestion is an addiction, as nicotine is one of the most highly addictive chemicals in existence.
Regarding health, continuous tobacco and nicotine use leads to breathing problems in the short term, which may increase in severity with time. Long terms nicotine use also reduces cognition and may affect the functioning of the memory CITATION Sof14 l 1033 (Sofouglu, Herman, Robinson, & Waters, 2014). Secondary effects of tobacco and nicotine use include a reduced lifespan as a result of damaged lungs and a weakened heart. In case of an addition, the continuous financial commitment meant to maintain the habit can lead to financial instability.
Dealing with Addictions
A tobacco addition is difficult to deal with due to the presence of nicotine in the tobacco. According to the American Heart Association (2015), nicotine travels very quickly when inhaled, and on reaching the brain, it causes a relaxing sensation that gives the user psychological relief. This, however, lasts for only a short time, after which the user gets back to reality, prompting them to reuse tobacco to bring back the sensation. Addiction is therefore quite difficult to deal with as a user continues looking for relaxing feeling created by nicotine.

Reinforcing Qualities of the Drug
Once the user of tobacco has started, a user is most likely to sustain the habit and in some cases develop an addiction. According to the American Cancer Society (2015), the presence of nicotine in tobacco creates a continuous need for more due to the fact that it’s a stimulant. The user easily gets distracted from reality by using nicotine, which in the long term creates a dependency that is difficult to overcome. As the body adapts to nicotine, more is needed to have the same effects, which also reinforces continuous use and leads to an addiction. Once a regular use, users who try to stop also have to deal with severe withdrawal symptoms, which are difficult to ignore, and may drive them back to using.
The similarity with Other Drugs
Tobacco has been identified to be quite similar to most other drugs. Like other drugs, tobacco is addictive and can lead to various health complications for a user in the long term. According to DiFranza (2016), the stages that lead to tobacco addiction are quite similar to the stages that users of other drugs such as heroin go through, meaning dependency solutions that are effective for drugs like heroin can also be effective for tobacco users.
Risks of Using with Other Drugs
The use of tobacco along with other drugs leads to much more intense exposure to destructive chemicals, which accelerates the development of health complications. According to Lucas and Martin (2013), the use of tobacco with prescription drugs that affect the psychotic system may interfere with their effectiveness. While the consistent use of tobacco may discourage the use of other stimulants with the same effects, it can lead to the adoption of other drugs that have complementary effects.
New Information Gained
The speed with which one can get addicted to tobacco use as a result of nicotine was new and quite illuminating. Previously I imagined an addiction as requiring a lengthy period to develop.

References
American Cancer Society. (2015). Why People Start Smoking and Why It’s Hard to Stop. Retrieved from Cancer.Org: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/tobacco-and-cancer/why-people-start-using-tobacco.htmlAmerican Heart Association. (2015). Why is it so hard to quit? Retrieved from Heart.Org: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/QuitSmoking/YourNon-SmokingLife/Why-is-it-so-hard-to-quit_UCM_324053_Article.jsp#.W4bLgM4zbIUDiFranza, J. R. (2016). Can tobacco dependence provide insights into other drug addictions? BMC Psychiatry, 16(365). Retrieved from https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-016-1074-4Lucas, C., & Martin, J. (2013). Smoking and drug interactions. Australian Prescriber, 102(4). Retrieved from https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/smoking-and-drug-interactionsMishra, A., Chaturvedi, P., Datta, S., Sinukumar, S., Joshi, P., & Garg, A. (2015). Harmful effects of nicotine. Indian Journal of Medical Paediatric Oncology, 36(1), 24-31. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4363846/Sofouglu, M., Herman, A. I., Robinson, C., & Waters, A. J. (2014). Cognitive Effects of Nicotine. . Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 367-385. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1146&context=usuhs