Why is quitting smoking so hard

Two decades later in , another landmark surgeon general's report on nicotine addiction declared nicotine to be as addictive as cocaine or heroin.

Nicotine also acts as a stimulant, said Benowitz. The Food and Drug Administration intends to implement new rules that would reduce the level of nicotine in tobacco products to "minimally addictive" or "non-addictive" levels. It's not clear when the FDA will issue its new ruling. Benowitz said he's "cautiously optimistic" that the FDA will force tobacco companies to make cigarettes non-addictive. Meanwhile, debate rages over increasingly popular e-cigarettes, which are marketed as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.

E-cigarette vapor doesn't contain as many toxic chemicals as the smoke from regular cigarettes. However, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine and some deliver dangerous chemicals such as formaldehyde. Critics of e-cigarettes complain that makers are marketing them to youth by selling them in a variety of kid-friendly flavors, from pizza to cookies-and-cream. Many people find they are unable to stop smoking on their own. Double Your Gift. Your tax-deductible donation funds lung disease and lung cancer research, new treatments, lung health education, and more.

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You will now receive email updates from the American Lung Association. Select your location to view local American Lung Association events and news near you. Our service is free and we are here to help you. The Science Behind Addiction. Back to Each Breath Blog. Smokers have a better chance of quitting and staying smokefree if they address all three parts of the chain: Physical: Cigarettes contain an addictive chemical called nicotine , that when inhaled causes the release of another chemical called dopamine in the brain that makes you feel good.

In fact, according to McClernon, the act of quitting smoking only makes the habit that much more attractive to our subconscious: "Quitting smoking dramatically increases brain activity in response to seeing the smoking cues.

McClernon and his team at Duke University studied the brain patterns of people trying to quit smoking by showing test participants smoking-related imagery while conducting a brain scan. Everyone's Different. Page last reviewed: January 5, Content source: Smokefree. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address. What's this. Related Links. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.