Nicotine

       A nitrogen containing chemical known as alkaloid is made by tobacco plants or are produced synthetically. Nicotine is not only restricted to the tobacco but it is also found in other plants. The Nicotiana tabacum plant is part of the nightshade family which includes other plants such as tomatoes, red peppers, potatoes and eggplants. All of these plants contain nicotine. But however, their concentrations are much lower as compared to the nicotine found in tobacco. It has a great pharmacological effect such as increasing the heart rate, oxygen consumption by our heart muscles and also increases the heart stroke volume. It also has strong psychodynamic effects like increased in our alertness level, sense of euphoria as well as a feeling of being relaxed. It is now also known to be a great addictive substance. When someone gets used to nicotine and it became habitual then they would stop using it, they would experience withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety, shortened attention span, irritability, and a great craving for the nicotine substance.

Jean Nicot, whose name was given for the plant Nicotiana tabacum as well as to the addicting and stimulating substance that is now known with the name “nicotine”, is friends with DAmiao de Goes, a botanist and scholar in Lisbon. They once had a talk over dinner and Damiao showed him the tobacco plant that was grown from his garden and told Jean of its great healing properties. He said that applying the plant to the malignant tumor worked wonders. Jean Nicot tried to use it on the face of an acquaintance on the wound and after 10 days it showed great results. Jean was convinced that tobacco from his friend de Goes had healing properties. He obtained plant cuttings from his friend and planted it in the French Embassy garden. Nicot wrote of the medicinal properties of tobacco in 1560 and described it as a panacea. He then sent some of the tobacco plant over to the French court.

He event sent some to the Queen of France, Catherine de Medici, in 1560 for her migraine. He applied it to his forehead and nose and found that it relieved his headaches. The Queen of France then followed and became quite impressed. She even decreed that the plant would be colled as a Herba Regina or the “Queen's Herb”.

How is nicotine consumed?

You can smoke the tobacco in cigarettes, pipes or cigars. It can also be chewed or sniffed if it's in powder form. Bidis is an alternative for cigarettes. It originated in India. Bidis are rolled by hands. In the United States, they are popular among teens as they come in different colored packages with choices of flavors. Some teenagers think that bidis are not as harmful than ordinary cigarettes but bidis actually have even higher amount of nicotine which makes the smokers smoke even more and is more harmful to the smoker's lungs as compared to cigarettes.

What are effects of nicotine?

As you puff a cigarette, you pull some nicotine into your lungs that are then absorbed into the bloodstream. In just 8 seconds, the nicotine reached the brain and changes the way it works. This happens really fast and this is because the nicotine is shaped just like acetylcholine which is a natural brain chemical. This is one of the several neurotransmitter chemicals that carry messages to the brain cells. The neurons have receptors which are spaces where neurotransmitters fit in just like a key and lock. The nicotine locks itself into the acetylcholine receptors in other parts of the brain and rapidly causes changes in our brain and body. It raises the heart beat and breathing and it causes more production of glucose or blood sugar that are released into the bloodstream. This might be the cause why smokers feel more alert after they smoke.

It also attaches to brain cells or neurons that release the dopamine neurotransmitter. It stimulates the neurons so it would release a great amount of the dopamine. The dopamine stimulate our brains to feel pleasure, a group of our brain structures that is called as the limbic system which involves our learning, appetite, feelings of pleasure and memory. We normally feel pleasure after we eat, feel love or get comfort. But when we smoke, the dopamine floods our brain and it gives the smoker the intense pleasure feeling.

Normally our neurons would reabsorb these neurotransmitters after doing their job but with smoking cigarettes, it causes the dopamine to just stay in between the neuron spaces that are called as synapses. It is still unknown what tobacco component blocks the dopamine reabsorption into neurons.

In 40 minutes, the nicotine effects are half gone. So, smokers would feel the urge to light another cigarette again. After continues and repeated cigarette doses, the brain experience some changes. To adjust with the high dose of dopamine, our brain starts cutting down the production of neurotransmitters and would reduce some numbers of the receptors. The smoker would then feel the need to create even more levels of the dopamine in the brain. They would start to feel depressed or irritated if they don't have nicotine in their system. Continues smoking made the smoker train their limbic system to start craving for tobacco. Just think of it like how you would crave for a cold drink during a hot day or how you'd want to eat a sandwich when you're dead hungry. But, tobacco cravings feel a lot stronger.

These changes in our body make nicotine very addictive. The same brain changes are caused by heroin and cocaine, two other addictive drugs that are abused.

While a smoker inhales a cigarette, he puts more of the nicotine into his lungs. 4,000 or more chemicals are found in tobacco that besides the nicotine, other dangerous chemicals found are carbon monoxide and tar. Tar causes emphysema, lung cancer and bronchial diseases while carbon monoxide leads to heart problems or a higher risk for heart diseases.

The sense of taste and smell of smokers are also affected and their stamina for sports and exercises are reduced and they also smell of cigarettes. When you smoke for a long time you'd also notice your skin ages a lot faster than normal and your teeth discolors or turn brown.