[Stuey]

From Scientific American MIND July 2005

Where Addiction Lies
By Nicole Garbarini


Quote:
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When smokers satisfy their urge for a cigarette, they dampen their mental resistance to addiction. Researchers at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor imaged smokers' cerebral blood flow as they puffed on a cigarette after a night of nicotine abstinence. They also took images as the subjects smoked a low-nicotine cigarette. Comparing the two images removed signs of activity related to the non-nicotine aspects of smoking, leaving a map of pure nicotine stimulation. The drug intake increases blood flow in areas rich in nicotine receptors. But it also decreased blood flow in areas involved in memory formation and regions that normally moderate drug-seeking behavior.



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Photos were included but not required to understand the ideas.

I was a smoker; I have quit for 3 years now. I do recall that when I smoked I thought I was doing it because I wanted to and I thought I did not want to quit. I did not consider there could be a physical reason that made me not want to try quitting.

The know many people that have quit smoking for up to 5 or 10 years and then start again! I am sure I would start again if I had one puff. I can not stress it enough do not have even one puff. gl