Nicotine
hideNicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) which constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots, and accumulating in the leaves. It functions as an antiherbivore chemical with particular specificity to insects; therefore nicotine was widely used as an insecticide in the past, and currently nicotine analogs such as imidacloprid continue to be widely used.
In low concentrations (an average cigarette yields about 1 mg of absorbed nicotine), the substance acts as a stimulant in mammals and is one of the main factors responsible for the dependence-forming properties of tobacco smoking. According to the American Heart Association, "Nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break." The pharmacological and behavioral characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Nicotine content in cigarettes has actually slowly increased over the years, and one study found that there was an average increase of 1.6% per year between the years of 1998 and 2005. This was found for all major market categories of cigarettes.
For more information about Nicotine, read the full article at
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News tagged with nicotine dependence
Skin color clue to nicotine dependence
May 08, 2009 |
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Higher concentrations of melanin -- the color pigment in skin and hair -- may be placing darker pigmented smokers at increased susceptibility to nicotine dependence and tobacco-related carcinogens than lighter skinned smokers, ...
Genetic markers identified for alcohol response
Dec 09, 2008 |
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Researchers at the UCSF Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center have identified a region on the human genome that appears to determine how strongly drinkers feel the effects of alcohol and thus how prone they are to alcohol ...
Nicotine dependence remains prevalent despite recent declines in cigarette use
Jun 24, 2009 |
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Despite recent declines in cigarette use in the U.S., nicotine dependence has remained steady among adults and has actually increased among some groups. The finding by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of ...
Kids who watch R-rated movies are more likely to smoke
Feb 23, 2009 |
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A new study finds that kids who are allowed to watch R-rated movies are much more likely to believe it's easy to get a cigarette than those who aren't allowed to watch such films.
ADHD appears to increase level of nicotine dependence in smokers
Oct 21, 2008 |
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Young people with ADHD are not only at increased risk of starting to smoke cigarettes, they also tend to become more seriously addicted to tobacco and more vulnerable to environmental factors such as having friends or parents ...
Parental warning: second-hand smoke may trigger nicotine dependence symptoms in kids
Sep 29, 2008 |
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Parents who smoke cigarettes around their kids in cars and homes beware – second-hand smoke may trigger symptoms of nicotine dependence in children. The findings are published in the September edition of the journal Addictive Be ...
Genetic variations put youth at higher risk for lifetime of tobacco addiction
Jul 11, 2008 |
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Common genetic variations affecting nicotine receptors in the nervous system can significantly increase the chance that European Americans who begin smoking by age 17 will struggle with lifelong nicotine addiction, according ...
Nicotine Dependence Remains Prevalent Despite Recent Declines in Cigarette Use
Jul 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Despite recent declines in cigarette use in the U.S., nicotine dependence has remained steady among adults and has actually increased among some groups. The finding by researchers at Columbia University Mailman ...
Throwing the micro switch: MicroRNA may link smoking risk gene to neurobiology of addiction
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Apr 23, 2009 |
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During the past several years, significant progress has been made in identifying susceptibility genes for nicotine dependence through genetic linkage and association analyses. Although a large number of genes have been associated ...
US nicotine addiction reaches 15-year high
Oct 28, 2008 |
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Nicotine dependence has reached a 15-year high, with nearly 75 percent of people currently seeking tobacco-dependence treatment categorized as highly nicotine dependent. New research, presented at CHEST 2008, the 74th annual ...
Critical genetic link found between human taste differences and nicotine dependence
Oct 14, 2008 |
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Could an aversion to bitter substances or an overall heightened sense of taste help protect some people from becoming addicted to nicotine? That's what researchers at UVA have found using an innovative new method they've ...
