Is smoking nicotine more addictive than either cocaine or heroin? According to leading drug addiction experts it is. This picture shows the nicotine addiction warning label on an actual pack of Camel cigarettes from Canada. Although youth in Canada and in all European Union nations now see addiction warning labels, since 1990 the U.S. tobacco industry has used its muscle to successfully stop the United States Congress from passing a bill to warn U.S. children and teens of the true power of nicotine to de-sensitize and enslave their brain reward pathways.
It's the exact same message that the over 4 million killed by tobacco each year failed to receive during their youth when they placed those first cigarettes to their lips while trying to look so darn cool and grown-up - NICOTINE IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.
As shown by the recent HONC study, it takes just a few puffs on a few cigarettes before the mind begins experiencing an endless nicotine crave cycle. Did you know that 90% of all smokers became addicted while teenagers? So who were we really trying to imitate, real adults who were smart enough to never start, or the 90% of addicted teens who simply grew older? If 90% of all smokers start as teenagers, what age group are the tobacco companies (run by adults) working hard to addict?
Do you consider yourself addicted to nicotine? Are you a drug addict? Do you live from fix to fix? How is addiction defined? Although definitions vary a bit, most include the following factors: (1) a dependance on the substance; (2) its compulsive use; (3) tolerance; (4) damage to the user; and (5) withdrawal symptoms once the substance is taken away. Hi! My name is John and I??m a ??nicoholic!? Oh, I'm quit, arrested my dependency and am totally comfortable now but like true alcoholics, we nicotine addicts always remains just one powerful puff of nicotine away from commencing the onset of full and complete relapse.
The tobacco companies successfully addict 2,000 new teenagers in the U.S. each and every day and 100,000 worldwide. That??s over one million teens each year. CDC statistics show that most teens want to quit, have tried to quit (73%), but few have been successful (13%). I guess misery does love company because, sadly, many addicted teens help their friends and classmates join the ranks of the permanently addicted.
This picture is of the European Community addiction warning label that seeks to inform and protect children and teenagers in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland and Sweden. Sadly, there is no warning of impending chemical addiction for U.S. children and teens. Instead, those pushing, selling and promoting nicotine products in the U.S. are teaching children that smoking is just a nasty little habit.
And where does all the drug money go? It goes to the local seller (a drug pusher of sorts), to the tobacco company (the drug supplier), to the tobacco farmer (the grower) and to the government as takes its tax slice of the drug pie. I??m convinced that millions of adults would rather see our youth continue to become addicted and take their money, rather than to stop or control this madness. Here in the South Carolina, USA, you can??t go into any supermarket, pharmacy (that??s a kicker), bowling alley, gas station or restaurant without someone or some machine offering to sell you nicotine.
Each and every day up to 100,000 children and teenagers become addicted to nicotine, while the addiction pipeline pumps 4.9 million wonderful humans into early graves. That??s four (4) times as many people as killed annually by all other drugs, car accidents, suicides, homicides, and AIDS deaths combined. How many mothers would go out and purchase heroin to give their teen a drug fix? According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control there were 4,175 heroin related deaths reported in 1995. Mom, your child is 100 times more likely to die from smoking related causes than heroin related ones.
We need to change the way we look at nicotine use and addiction. Is it cool to smell like an ashtray, have bad breath and watch your teeth grow stained while your gums grow diseased? Is it cool to live your entire life from nicotine crave to nicotine crave? Is it cool to surrender control of your life to chemical commands, to become a slave? How strong is nicotine? Well, for every 20 nicotine addicts who attempt to quit on their own only one succeeds in doing so for a year. It was supposed to be cool, remember?
Even newly addicted youth can almost feel the tar and other chemicals as they begin to build and gradually impair their breathing. They can feel the damage while trying to run, swim, dance, sing or engage in other energetic activities? They don't have to wait on lung cancer, emphysema or heart disease before seeing tobacco??s awesome power. For most, it will happen shortly after their first few cigarettes, as soon as nicotine takes control and commands them to smoke some more nicotine NOW!
If you want to see where nicotine addiction can lead then read Sean's, Noni's, Bryan's, Kim's, or the tragic stories of others. Nicotine never lets up, the accelerated decay and damage never takes a break, and breaking free will never be easier than it is today. Take a quick peek at how thousands are breaking free with the help of serious online education, support and counseling. The site is called Freedom from Tobacco and it's a classroom and support group all rolled into one. Knowledge is power! We hope you'll join us!
http://whyquit.com/whyquit/addicts.html Why Quit?
