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From the Director
The use of tobacco products may be the Nation's most critical public health problem. It is, in fact, addiction to nicotine that is at the root of this enormous health, social, and financial burden.
An improved overall understanding of addiction, coupled with the identification of nicotine as an addictive drug, has been instrumental in the development of medications and behavioral treatments for nicotine addiction. In essence, science-driven treatment development has provided to consumers the option to easily purchase effective treatments, such as the nicotine patch and nicotine gum, in their local drugstores and supermarkets. Science has also shown that treating addiction with medications alone is not nearly as effective as when the medication is coupled with a behavioral approach. While we have made substantial progress in developing both pharmacological and behavioral treatments that have proven effective for many people, much more remains to be done.
Through the use of advanced neuroimaging technologies, we are now actually able to see some of the changes in brain function that occur as people smoke tobacco products. Researchers are beginning to find that there may be chemicals other than nicotine in cigarette smoke that contribute to tobacco's addictiveness. This finding and many other new research accomplishments in the addiction arena are providing us with an unprecedented opportunity to curtail this enormous public health crisis. We hope this compilation of scientific information will help to inform readers about our current understanding of nicotine addiction and its harmful effects and will assist in prevention and treatment efforts.
Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D.
Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse
If you have the Acrobat reader plug-in for Netscape or Internet Explorer click on the document link and you will be able
to view and/or print out the pages. If you have trouble viewing the document in your browser window, download the document (Windows users - right click on the link and Save as...) to your computer and get Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) in order to view it.
This report is also available in PDF format, Nicotine Addiction, [PDF format, 256 KB]
All materials appearing in the Research Reports Series are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission from NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated.
To obtain printed copies of this report, please call or write the National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information, P.O. Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20852, 1-800-729-6686. NIDA Research Report - Nicotine Addiction: NIH Publication No. 01-4342. 396919since 7/20/97
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