Nicotine

Nicotine is one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the United States. In 2003, 29.8 percent of the U.S. population 12 and older—70.8 million people—used tobacco at least once in the month prior to being interviewed.* This figure includes 3.6 million young people age 12 to 17. There were no statistically significant changes in past-month rates of the different tobacco products among this age group between 2002 and 2003. However, there were significant declines in past-year and lifetime cigarette use between 2002 and 2003. In addition, the rate of past-month cigarette use decreased among 13 year-olds. Young adults aged 18 to 25 reported the highest rate of current use of any tobacco products (44.8 percent).

Cigarette smoking has been the most popular method of taking nicotine since the beginning of the 20th century. In 1989, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report that concluded that cigarettes and other forms of tobacco, such as cigars, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco, are addictive and that nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction. The report also determined that smoking was a major cause of stroke and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing approximately 440,000 premature deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $75 billion in direct medical costs. (See www.cdc.gov/tobacco/issue.htm).

Health Hazards
Nicotine is highly addictive. Nicotine provides an almost immediate “kick” because it causes a discharge of epinephrine from the adrenal cortex. This stimulates the central nervous system and other endocrine glands, which causes a sudden release of glucose. Stimulation is then followed by depression and fatigue, leading the abuser to seek more nicotine.

Nicotine is absorbed readily from tobacco smoke in the lungs, and it does not matter whether the tobacco smoke is from cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Nicotine also is absorbed readily when tobacco is chewed. With regular use of tobacco, levels of nicotine accumulate in the body during the day and persist overnight. Thus, daily smokers or chewers are exposed to the effects of nicotine for 24 hours each day.

Addiction to nicotine results in withdrawal symptoms when a person tries to stop smoking. For example, a study found that when chronic smokers were deprived of cigarettes for 24 hours, they had increased anger, hostility, and aggression, and loss of social cooperation. Persons suffering from withdrawal also take longer to regain emotional equilibrium following stress. During periods of abstinence and/or craving, smokers have shown impairment across a wide range of psychomotor and cognitive functions, such as language comprehension.

Women who smoke generally have earlier menopause. If women smoke cigarettes and also take oral contraceptives, they are more prone to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases than are other smokers; this is especially true for women older than 30.

Pregnant women who smoke cigarettes run an increased risk of having stillborn or premature infants or infants with low birthweight. Children of women who smoked while pregnant have an increased risk for developing conduct disorders. National studies of mothers and daughters have also found that maternal smoking during pregnancy increased the probability that female children would smoke and would persist in smoking.

Adolescent smokeless tobacco users are more likely than nonusers to become cigarette smokers. Behavioral research is beginning to explain how social influences, such as observing adults or other peers smoking, affect whether adolescents begin to smoke cigarettes. Research has shown that teens are generally resistant to antismoking messages.

In addition to nicotine, cigarette smoke is primarily composed of a dozen gases (mainly carbon monoxide) and tar. The tar in a cigarette, which varies from about 15 mg for a regular cigarette to 7 mg in a low-tar cigarette, exposes the user to an increased risk of lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchial disorders.

The carbon monoxide in the smoke increases the chance of cardiovascular diseases. The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in adults and greatly increases the risk of respiratory illnesses in children and sudden infant death.

Promising Research
Research has shown that nicotine, like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, increases the level of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which affects the brain pathways that control reward and pleasure. Scientists now have pinpointed a particular molecule [the beta 2 (b2)] subunit of the nicotine cholinergic receptor as a critical component in nicotine addiction. Mice that lack this subunit fail to self-administer nicotine, implying that without the b2 subunit, the mice do not experience the positive reinforcing properties of nicotine. This new finding identifies a potential site for targeting the development of nicotine addiction medications.

Other new research found that individuals have greater resistance to nicotine addiction if they have a genetic variant that decreases the function of the enzyme CYP2A6. The decrease in CYP2A6 slows the breakdown of nicotine and protects individuals against nicotine addiction. Understanding the role of this enzyme in nicotine addiction gives a new target for developing more effective medications to help people stop smoking. Medications might be developed that can inhibit the function of CYP2A6, thus providing a new approach to preventing and treating nicotine addiction.

Another study found dramatic changes in the brain’s pleasure circuits during withdrawal from chronic nicotine use. These changes are comparable in magnitude and duration to similar changes observed during withdrawal from other abused drugs such as cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and alcohol. Scientists found significant decreases in the sensitivity of the brains of laboratory rats to pleasurable stimulation after nicotine administration was abruptly stopped. These changes lasted several days and may correspond to the anxiety and depression experienced by humans for several days after quitting smoking "cold turkey." The results of this research may help in the development of better treatments for the withdrawal symptoms that may interfere with individuals’ attempts to quit smoking.

Treatment
Studies have shown that pharmacological treatment combined with behavioral treatment, including psychological support and skills training to overcome high-risk situations, results in some of the highest long-term abstinence rates. Generally, rates of relapse for smoking cessation are highest in the first few weeks and months and diminish considerably after about 3 months.

Behavioral economic studies find that alternative rewards and reinforcers can reduce cigarette use. One study found that the greatest reductions in cigarette use were achieved when smoking cost was increased in combination with the presence of alternative recreational activities.

Nicotine chewing gum is one medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of nicotine dependence. Nicotine in this form acts as a nicotine replacement to help smokers quit smoking.

The success rates for smoking cessation treatment with nicotine chewing gum vary considerably across studies, but evidence suggests that it is a safe means of facilitating smoking cessation if chewed according to instructions and restricted to patients who are under medical supervision.

Another approach to smoking cessation is the nicotine transdermal patch, a skin patch that delivers a relatively constant amount of nicotine to the person wearing it. A research team at NIDA’s Intramural Research Program studied the safety, mechanism of action, and abuse liability of the patch that was consequently approved by FDA. Both nicotine gum and the nicotine patch, as well as other nicotine replacements such as sprays and inhalers, are used to help people fully quit smoking by reducing withdrawal symptoms and preventing relapse while undergoing behavioral treatment.

Another tool in treating nicotine addiction is a medication that goes by the trade name Zyban. This is not a nicotine replacement, as are the gum and patch. Rather, this works on other areas of the brain, and its effectiveness is in helping to make nicotine craving, or thoughts about cigarette use, more controllable in people who are trying to quit.

(Source: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) website (http://www.nida.nih.gov/)

[ History ] [ Accreditation ] [ Leadership ] [ Treatment Team ] Nicotine Addiction Recovery Rehab and Drug Treatment Detox Facility Seabrook, New Jersey (NJ) (800)761-7575 Seabrook House is a nationally recognized, private and exclusive, and CARF accredited inpatient drug rehab and alcoholism rehab treatment center. Our main facility is located in rural Bridgeton, New Jersey (NJ), convenient to New York (NY), Pennsylvania (PA), Maryland (MD), Delaware (DE), Virginia (VA), Washington, DC, Connecticut (CT), Rhode Island (RI) and Massachusetts (MA). Our extended-care transitional living facility is located in Tioga County, Pennsylvania (PA), within minutes of the New York state border. Our alcohol and drug rehab campus in New Jersey extends over a 40-acre manicured estate, providing a serene and healing drug rehab environment. The transitional living facility in Pennsylvania is similarly situated on a 14-acre estate with rolling hills and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. For over 33 years we have been helping families find the courage to find recovery from alcoholism, drug addiction, substance abuse such as marijuana addiction, heroin dependency, cocaine addiction, xanax abuse, prescription medication abuse and other compulsive diseases. If you have a loved one that does not want help, don't give up! Many have come to our rehab program and into full recovery as a direct result of a Family Intervention. Call or click now for more information on how family intervention may work for you. Applying our research-based recovery treatment center methods for drug addiction and alcoholism, which we call The Seabrook House Model®, we assist patients in restoring their lives by embracing a way of life based upon the 12-Step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). We apply a variety of recovery therapies including cognitive behavioral (CBT) and adjunct therapies including music, yoga, massage, EMDR, psychodrama, equine assisted, Reiki, and outdoor adventure ropes course. Belief systems of Adler, Rogers and Jung and many other psychological theorists are applied during CBT. Our rich history and CARF accredited quality alcohol and drug addiction treatment rehab programs have earned Seabrook House a citation in "The 100 Best Treatment Centers for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse - The Only Complete Guide to the Most Outstanding Drug Rehabs in the Country" by Linda Sunshine and John Wright. This Avon Publication is available through most bookstores. Seabrook House addiction drug rehab center specializes in a withdrawal treatment for opiate detox i.e. heroin, oxycontin, using specific medication protocols with Suboxone, whose primary active ingredient is buprenorphine. Suboxone (buprenorphine / naloxone), at the appropriate dose, can suppress symptoms of heroin withdrawal, decrease cravings for opioids, block the effects of other opioids, and help patients stay in drug rehab treatment. You may also apply for admission online to our drug rehab center by using our encrypted Preadmission Assessment form. Please be assured that your alcohol and drug rehab addiction treatment records and information are protected by Federal confidentiality laws and we cannot share your information with anyone unless you give us written consent. Contact a Clinical Outreach Representative in your area if you have any questions or need further assistance. Our main drug rehab facility is located in southern New Jersey (NJ), approximately 1 1/2 hour drive from Princeton, New Jersey (NJ), Seabrook House's residential drug rehab addiction recovery treatment services are convenient to rehab Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA), Radnor, Pennsylvania (PA), Reading, Pennsylvania (PA), Wilmington, Delaware (DE), Dover, Delaware (DE) or within a 2 to 3 hour drive from New York City, New York (NY), Long Island, New York (NY), Bridgeport, Connecticut (CT), Gaithersburg, Maryland (MD),Washington, DC, Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) and Baltimore, Maryland (MD), or within a 5 hour drive from Boston, Massachusetts (MA), Worcester, Massachusetts (MA), New Bedford, Alcoholism Detox and Substance Abuse Drug Rehab Treatment Rehab Pennsylvania (PA) (800)761-7575 We accept addiction treatment admissions 24 hours per day for rehabilitation services for alcoholism, alcohol withdrawal and drug withdrawal detoxification, so please call now if you are in need of immediate assistance or would like more information about detoxes, drug rehabs, heroin detox, family intervention, substance abuse treatment or residential addiction treatment in the New Jersey (NJ), Pennsylvania (PA), Delaware (DE), New York (NY), Massachusetts (MA), Connecticut (CT), Rhode Island (RI), Virginia (VA) and Maryland (MD) areas. Who Are Seabrook House's Alcohol Rehab and Drug Addiction Rehab Patients? Seabrook House's alcohol and drug addiction rehab patients come primarily from New Jersey (NJ), many from the Cherry Hill / Haddonfield / Moorestown area, as well as the Princeton area in central New Jersey and Montclair area in northern New Jersey. In addition, from the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania (PA), the mainline Philadelphia, PA suburbs, New York City (NYC) including Manhattan (NY), Delaware (DE), Maryland (MD) and other Mid Atlantic states, although we have treated many from as far away as Connecticut (CT), Rhode Island (RI), Massachusetts (MA), New Hampshire (NH), Vermont (VT), California (CA), Bermuda, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They range in age from 17 to 80. Many of our patients are referred by family members, employers, large union health & welfare funds, health insurance companies, small local unions, employee assistance professionals (EAP), and managed care companies. Many patients transfer directly from hospitals, other detoxes, community mental health centers, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), union member assistance programs, and primary care physicians. We have provided them drug detox, drug rehab, alcohol detox, alcohol rehab, and many other forms of addiction treatment. Substance abuse treatment is our specialty. Because of our close proximity to Manhattan, New York (NY), New York City (NYC) and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA), Seabrook House addiction rehab center has for many years provided alcoholism and drug addiction rehab treatment to members of the arts & entertainment communities. These have included radio, television, stage and film industry associates from the east coast as well as California (CA). We understand that high profile individuals with substance abuse and alcoholism problems may have special needs related to the media as well as confidentiality issues. Protecting the anonymity of alcoholic or drug addicted patients in rehab and controlling media takes experienced addiction professionals. Many addiction rehabs cannot address these special needs. We understand that addiction does not discriminate. In addition, many physicians, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, lawyers and other professionals have sought our alcohol rehab and drug addiction rehab treatment services and gone on to lead happy, healthy, clean and sober lives. Contact (800)761-7575 for Immediate Admission for Alcoholism Detox and Drug Treatment or Family Intervention Seabrook House addiction rehab center is a licensed residential addiction treatment facility with 125 beds and provides alcohol and drug detox treatment and inpatient rehab treatment through its Adult Rehab Program for both men and women, and its MaterLiber Program, for alcoholic and drug addicted mothers and their dependent children. We specialize in detox treatment for opiates such as heroin, morphine, oxycontin, vicodin, codeine,demerol, fentanyl, methadone, percodan and percocet. In addition, Seabrook House addiction rehab center offers professional Family Intervention treatment services to those families attempting to help a resistant loved one with a substance abuse problem in need of heroin detoxification or addiction rehab treatment services. The family education and drug information programs, family intervention treatment services, and substance abuse counseling treatment services of Seabrook House have been nationally recognized.Our addiction rehab center and detox program accepts most health insurance companies, managed care, and union health & welfare funds for partial payment of its alcoholism and drug rehab treatment programs. Please review our rates for all detox and addiction drug rehab programs. When choosing any alcohol withdrawal and drug addiction rehab treatment center, follow the CARF guidelines to ensure that the addiction drug rehab treatment program you choose is a licensed and accredited substance abuse treatment facility. Call our 24 Hour Alcohol Rehab & Drug Treatment Rehab Helpline for Immediate Detox Addiction Help Transportation Services for Alcoholism Detox and Drug Rehab Centers from New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), Connecticut (CT), Massachusetts (MA), Rhode Island (RI), Pennsylvania (PA), Delaware (DE), Maryland (MD), Virginia (VA), Washington, DC, California (CA), Washington (WA), Oregon (OR), Nevada (NV), Idaho (ID), Utah (UT), Arizona (AZ) (800)761-7575 Seabrook House will provide private and discreet individualized transportation to and from all airports to ensure the safety and confidentiality of all of our patients. Please speak to your Admissions Counselor for more information on how you may qualify for direct airport pickup. Seabrook House also provides "sober escorting" if the patient is clinically and medically appropriate. This specialized service offers a Seabrook House staff person to fly to the home location of the patient and personally pick them up and accompany them directly to our drug rehab treatment facility. The escort is an experienced addiction professional, also in recovery from chemical dependency. Upon discharge the escort will then accompany the patient to the next level of care at a transitional sober living environment. Flight times to Seabrook House are brief from many east coast and Midwestern airports (see chart below). The Philadelphia International Airport located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA), is the closest airport to our alcohol detox and drug rehab facility: From Boston, Massachusetts (MA) - 45 minute flight time From Providence, Rhode Island (RI) - 45 minute flight time From Columbia, South Carolina (SC) - 60 minute flight time From Atlanta, Georgia (GA) - 90 minute flight time From Miami, Florida (FL) - 2 hour flight time From US Virgin Islands (USVI) - 3 hour flight time From Columbus, Ohio (OH) - 45 minute flight time From Hartford, Connecticut (CT) - 45 minute flight time From Bermuda (BM) - 90 minute flight time From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (FL) - 2 hour flight time From Indianapolis, Indiana (IA) - 2 ½ hour flight time From Los Angeles, California (CA) - 5 hour flight time From Chicago, Illinois (IL) - 3 hour flight time Patients coming from out of state may fly into a variety of airports at discounted airfare rates. All airports are conveniently located within minutes of the Seabrook House addiction rehab facility: Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania (PHL) 45 minute drive Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey (ACY) 60 minute drive Newark International Airport, New Jersey (EWR) 90 minute drive Princeton Airport, New Jersey (PCT) 75 minute drive John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York (JFK) 120 minute drive LaGuardia Airport, New York (LGA) 120 minute drive Baltimore Washington International Airport, Maryland (BWI) 120 minute drive Addiction Rehab Information AlcoholDetox.org Cocaine-Rehab.org Detox-Center.net Detox-Center.org (800)761-7575