THE PROBLEM
How does nicotine addiction start?
- Nicotine exposure primes the brain toward drug-related rewards. When nicotine reaches your brain, it releases neurotransmitters, including dopamine. Dopamine can bring on feelings of happiness and tranquility. The result is that your brain becomes biased towards this reward, leading towards dependency.
What does nicotine do to the brain?
- Nicotine molecules bind to receptors throughout the brain, including in areas critical for decision-making and impulse control. This reinforces addiction by creating craving cycles.
- Adolescent exposure to nicotine—even at low, intermittent doses—can impair normal brain maturation and result in permanently reduced attention span and enhanced impulsivity.
Smoking By the Numbers
480,000
Americans die every year from smoking-related causes
2/3
of adult smokers say they want to quit
$600 B
annual cost to the U.S. due to smoking
78.3%
of smokers ages 18–24 tried to quit in 2022
1 in 10
can actually quit
1/2
of all long-term smokers die prematurely from smoking
17.2
mg per grams nicotine of tobacco in cigarettes
0.7
nicotine cap proposed by the FDA
1500
minors a day try a cigarette for the first time
1
proposed FDA rule will fix these problems