Why is Quitting Smoking So Difficult?

If quitting smoking was easy then there’d be a lot less smokers around; of course everybody knows that quitting a nicotine habit is not easy. The ease with which people are able to quit does vary from person to person, some lucky types find it no difficulty at all whereas others can feel both physically and emotionally bound to a pack of 20. But why is quitting smoking, generally speaking, so difficult?

One of the least harmful chemicals in cigarettes is the most addictive. Put simply, nicotine works in the brain by encouraging the production of dopamine. This is the same chemical that creates a feeling of pleasure associated with food or sex. Of course whilst food and sex isn’t bad for you, in moderation, tobacco cigarettes are.

An electronic cigarette company sells cigarettes that carry this addictive nicotine but crucially none of the chemicals, such as formaldehyde or carbon monoxide. When you by an electronic cigarette online you’ll get the device and cartridges which carry nicotine. These are generally considered to be a much healthier form of cigarette, and they aren’t technically smoked but “vaped” instead.

As well as the inherent addictiveness of cigarettes  there are lots of factors that make cessation much more difficult. For example, some people seem to have a propensity to addiction, some mental illness is closely associated with a smoking habit and there are other factors such as economic factors or environmental factors.

Leave a Reply