Drug Abuse

Question by Bey0nd: Is nicotine addiction as hard to break as smokers claim it to be? I can tell you myself. ?
I have always lived in a family of smokers. My mother and father have smoked for over 30 years. I have friends who have smoked for years, and who claim that they can not stop due to nicotine “addiction.” I decided to perform an experiment so that I could put myself in their shoes and finally give me right to criticize their unhealthy habit. I decided to over a 1-month period build up my tolerance to nicotine to the equivalent of 2 packs / day using Nicotine Polacrilex gum. I began with the 4 mg gum, building up my tolerance to 10 pieces / day = 40 mg nicotine which is over the equivalent nicotine of 40 cigarettes. I build up to 10 pieces within 2 weeks, and continued to chew 10 pieces / day for 2 weeks. At the end of the 1-month period, I was going to stop cold turkey. I was returning home for christmas break, and left my nicotine at college. There was no way that I would have gotten away with sneaking to the local CVS in order to purchase more gum, even if I wanted to, so I knew I would not fail. The half-life of nicotine is very short, so the physical addiction is gone within a few days. Therefore, I knew I was going to be in for a bumpy ride.

However, it was nothing like I expected it to be. Yes – I felt the urge to chew more gum, and noticed myself feeling groggy, and a little more easily agitated, but I still was able to act like my normal self. By the third day of no nicotine, I had no desire to continue chewing the gum. Yes, I enjoyed it thoroughly, and would chew more if given the opportunity, but I really didn’t feel an uncontrollable desire to chew more gum. My parents act as though they will go insane without their next cigarette when they get that urge, and refuse to do anything other than smoke when the urge comes around. Therefore, I think that I am living proof that cigarettes aren’t that addictive. There is no use in smoking cigarettes… in fact, the gum is even more pleasurable than smoking a cigar (which I have smoke about 5 in my lifetime) I have never smoked a cigarette and never will. Currently I have bought another pack of 4 mg gum and chew a piece or two a day, sometimes not. Yesterday, I didn’t chew a piece at all, and I haven’t yet today. Tonight, I might, because it is an enjoyable drug… However, as far as I am concerned the physical addiction is bull. Sure, the habit might contribute to the inability to quit, but as far as I am concerned, one’s health is more important. This goes out to all smokers –> stop chewing, pick up some gum, and enjoy. 😀

My question to those of you out there, is has anyone else performed this type of experiment, and if so? what were the results? Also, can you smokers out there give me more input as to why you don’t stop smoking and sacrifice your health for cheap pleasure, which actually can be obtained from buying the gum, and getting a nice nicotine buzz. 4 mg CVS brand nicotine citrus gum is awesome. It tastes good, and you get a gooooood buzz. (probably the equivalent of about 5 cigarettes at once.

Give me your opinions / suggestions, etc?
Then what do you all claim the real reason you keep smoking is?

Is it the habit, because the addiction doesn’t seem that bad to me… Is it a social thing, or what?

I mean, smoking a cigar does help relieve stress. I’m sure cigarettes do the same for you all, but I prefer the gum to cigars anyways…. What’s the addiction all about?

Best answer:

Answer by Al Bundy
Now…Try the same experiment using cigarettes instead…See how easy it is to quit….Not the same.

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