HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET ADDICTED TO NICOTINE (AND HOW TO TELL IF YOU ARE)

Medically reviewed by Kashif J. Piracha, MD

Nicotine is an addictive chemical found in tobacco products, such as cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), cigars, chewing tobacco, and hookahs (water pipes). You may think you smoke because you want to, but nicotine is highly addictive; you can become dependent on it after repeated use.

According to estimates from 2021, 18.7% of adults in the United States use a tobacco product, including cigarettes (11.5%), e-cigarettes (4.5%), cigars (3.5%) and other forms of tobacco.

How Long Does It Take to Become Dependent on Nicotine?

How long it takes to become dependent on nicotine can vary among individuals. People who start using nicotine before the age of 20 are more likely to develop nicotine dependence and less likely to try to quit. Younger people's brains are still in a crucial stage of development when they are exposed to nicotine.

What Does Nicotine Do to the Body?

Nicotine is a chemical present in tobacco products that, when smoked or consumed, is absorbed into the bloodstream. It affects the body in the following ways:

• Activates the brain's reward pathways: It takes less than 10 seconds for nicotine to reach the brain after it's inhaled, and once there, it activates the brain's reward pathways by flooding the brain with dopamine (the "feel-good hormone").
• Increases blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing: Within the body, nicotine also goes to the adrenal glands, which can give a "rush" of adrenaline, increasing blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.
• Changes body and brain functions: With repeated use, you will develop a tolerance and need greater amounts of nicotine to get the same effect. Your brain gets accustomed to nicotine, so when you quit, you can develop painful and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

How Severe Is Your Nicotine Dependence? 

One way to understand the severity of your nicotine dependence is to use a tool like the Fagerström Test, a standardized smoking-dependence test with six questions that health professionals use to understand the level of dependence, including:

• How soon after waking do you smoke your first cigarette?
• Do you find it hard to avoid smoking in places where it's forbidden, such as churches, airports, and movie theaters?
• Which cigarette would you hate most to give up, the first in the morning or one at another time of day?
• How many cigarettes do you smoke each day?
• Do you smoke more frequently in the hours of waking or during the rest of the day?
• Do you smoke when you are ill enough to spend most of the day in bed?

A healthcare provider will recommend the appropriate treatments and nicotine replacement therapy based on your score.

Signs You May Be Dependent

People with nicotine dependence often change their behaviors to accommodate nicotine use, even if it's inconvenient, uncomfortable, or bad for their health.

Behavioral patterns include:

• An urge to smoke when you wake up or within the first half an hour after waking
• Feeling like your first cigarette of the day is your most important one
• Using nicotine throughout the day
• Going outside to smoke, even if it's rainy or cold
• Spending money on cigarettes or e-cigarettes, even if money is tight
• Continuing to smoke despite the concerns of partners, family, friends
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you go for longer than usual without using nicotine

Is Vaping Healthier Than Smoking Cigarettes? 

No tobacco product is considered safe, even vaping. Vaping is a verb for the use of e-cigarettes. These battery-powered devices allow you to inhale nicotine (and other chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic) as a vapor rather than smoke.

In the United States, 1.63 million middle and high school students report vaping, which can lead to nicotine addiction and impair brain development in regions that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.

E-cigarettes contain numerous harmful and potentially harmful chemicals that can lead to severe lung injury. Researchers have established the dangers of vaping and advise against the use of e-cigarettes, as they are not safe, nor are they a "healthy" alternative to cigarettes.

Symptoms to Expect When Quitting

When you decide to quit nicotine, it can be helpful to understand the potential withdrawal symptoms and how long they last so you can plan accordingly.

Some common nicotine withdrawal symptoms are:

• Anxiety
• Cravings or urges to use nicotine
• Fatigue
• Increased hunger or weight gain
• Irritability or grouchiness
• Restlessness
• Sadness or depression
• Trouble sleeping
• Trouble with concentration and focus

Less commonly, people experience the following nicotine withdrawal symptoms:

• Constipation
• Coughing
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Mouth ulcers

How Long Does Nicotine Withdrawal Last?

Nicotine withdrawal duration can vary from person to person, but the following is a rough guideline of what to expect:

• Day three: Withdrawal symptoms peak.
• Week one: Symptoms are still significant but starting to stabilize.
• Week four: Symptoms have significantly improved or entirely resolved.

For some, withdrawal symptoms continue for multiple months after quitting. Nicotine dependence is not permanent, but many people do relapse before quitting for good. The promising news is that nicotine cravings don't last forever.

Strategies to Help You Quit

There is a lot of advice out there for quitting nicotine. Some behavioral and environmental strategies that can help include:

• Avoid craving triggers, which are usually environments or people that you associate with using nicotine.
• Alcohol and nicotine are frequently used together. To avoid situational triggers involving using both together, quit or significantly reduce alcohol consumption for the first few weeks of attempting to quit smoking. Doing so also helps lessen the impact of lowered inhibitions and other triggers to smoke that can be caused by alcohol use.
• Remind yourself that anger, irritability, and other feelings that come up are physiological responses from taking nicotine away from your body.
• Reduce caffeine consumption to support your sleep, and practice good sleep hygiene.
• Focus on eating healthy, balanced meals without distractions.
• Start or continue regular exercise.
• Make a schedule of rewards for yourself for each milestone you pass without using nicotine.

There is also medical assistance available for quitting nicotine. Nicotine-replacement therapy (e.g., patches, lozenges, gum) or medications such as Chantix (varenicline) or Wellbutrin (bupropion) can help with quitting.

Finding an online or in-person support group, seeing a counselor or therapist, or joining a quitting program can also help.

Summary

Nicotine dependence can happen after even just a few times smoking cigarettes or using other tobacco products. Quitting is hard, but it's possible to find long-term relief from nicotine dependence. Withdrawal is most difficult during the first week after quitting but will gradually get better.

Read the original article on Verywell Health

2025-01-10T14:35:02Z