Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Long to DependenceWhat It Does to the BodyDependence SeveritySigns of DependenceVaping vs. CigarettesWithdrawal SymptomsWithdrawal DurationStrategies to Quit
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Long to Dependence
What It Does to the Body
Dependence Severity
Signs of Dependence
Vaping vs. Cigarettes
Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal Duration
Strategies to Quit
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, butnicotineis 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.
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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:
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:
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:
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 thepotential withdrawal symptomsand how long they last so you can plan accordingly.
Some common nicotine withdrawal symptoms are:
Less commonly, people experience the following nicotine withdrawal symptoms:
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:
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:
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.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Nicotine is why tobacco products are addictive.Cornelius ME, Loretan CG, Jamal A, et al.Tobacco product use among adults – united states, 2021.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(18):475-483. doi:10.15585%2Fmmwr.mm7218a1Ali FRM.Onset of regular smoking before age 21 and subsequent nicotine dependence and cessation behavior among US adult smokers.Prev Chronic Dis. 2020;17. doi:10.5888/pcd17.190176National Institute on Drug Abuse.Mind matters: the body’s response to nicotine, tobacco and vaping.American Cancer Society.Why people start smoking and why it’s hard to stop.Lim KH, Cheong YL, Sulaiman N, et al.Agreement between the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (Ftnd) and the heaviness of smoking index (Hsi) for assessing the intensity of nicotine dependence among daily smokers.Tob Induc Dis. 2022;20:105. doi:10.18332%2Ftid%2F155376Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.Nicotine dependence.American Heart Association.Is vaping better than smoking?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.E-cigarette use among youth.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7 common withdrawal symptoms.National Cancer Institute.Handling nicotine withdrawal and triggers when you decide to quit tobacco.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Tobacco, nicotine, and e-cigarette research report: is nicotine addictive?van Amsterdam J, van den Brink W.The effect of alcohol use on smoking cessation: a systematic review.Alcohol. 2023;109:13-22. doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.12.003Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical interventions to treat tobacco use and dependence among adults.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Nicotine is why tobacco products are addictive.Cornelius ME, Loretan CG, Jamal A, et al.Tobacco product use among adults – united states, 2021.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(18):475-483. doi:10.15585%2Fmmwr.mm7218a1Ali FRM.Onset of regular smoking before age 21 and subsequent nicotine dependence and cessation behavior among US adult smokers.Prev Chronic Dis. 2020;17. doi:10.5888/pcd17.190176National Institute on Drug Abuse.Mind matters: the body’s response to nicotine, tobacco and vaping.American Cancer Society.Why people start smoking and why it’s hard to stop.Lim KH, Cheong YL, Sulaiman N, et al.Agreement between the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (Ftnd) and the heaviness of smoking index (Hsi) for assessing the intensity of nicotine dependence among daily smokers.Tob Induc Dis. 2022;20:105. doi:10.18332%2Ftid%2F155376Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.Nicotine dependence.American Heart Association.Is vaping better than smoking?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.E-cigarette use among youth.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7 common withdrawal symptoms.National Cancer Institute.Handling nicotine withdrawal and triggers when you decide to quit tobacco.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Tobacco, nicotine, and e-cigarette research report: is nicotine addictive?van Amsterdam J, van den Brink W.The effect of alcohol use on smoking cessation: a systematic review.Alcohol. 2023;109:13-22. doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.12.003Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical interventions to treat tobacco use and dependence among adults.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Nicotine is why tobacco products are addictive.Cornelius ME, Loretan CG, Jamal A, et al.Tobacco product use among adults – united states, 2021.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(18):475-483. doi:10.15585%2Fmmwr.mm7218a1Ali FRM.Onset of regular smoking before age 21 and subsequent nicotine dependence and cessation behavior among US adult smokers.Prev Chronic Dis. 2020;17. doi:10.5888/pcd17.190176National Institute on Drug Abuse.Mind matters: the body’s response to nicotine, tobacco and vaping.American Cancer Society.Why people start smoking and why it’s hard to stop.Lim KH, Cheong YL, Sulaiman N, et al.Agreement between the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (Ftnd) and the heaviness of smoking index (Hsi) for assessing the intensity of nicotine dependence among daily smokers.Tob Induc Dis. 2022;20:105. doi:10.18332%2Ftid%2F155376Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.Nicotine dependence.American Heart Association.Is vaping better than smoking?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.E-cigarette use among youth.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7 common withdrawal symptoms.National Cancer Institute.Handling nicotine withdrawal and triggers when you decide to quit tobacco.National Institute on Drug Abuse.Tobacco, nicotine, and e-cigarette research report: is nicotine addictive?van Amsterdam J, van den Brink W.The effect of alcohol use on smoking cessation: a systematic review.Alcohol. 2023;109:13-22. doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.12.003Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical interventions to treat tobacco use and dependence among adults.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Nicotine is why tobacco products are addictive.
Cornelius ME, Loretan CG, Jamal A, et al.Tobacco product use among adults – united states, 2021.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(18):475-483. doi:10.15585%2Fmmwr.mm7218a1
Ali FRM.Onset of regular smoking before age 21 and subsequent nicotine dependence and cessation behavior among US adult smokers.Prev Chronic Dis. 2020;17. doi:10.5888/pcd17.190176
National Institute on Drug Abuse.Mind matters: the body’s response to nicotine, tobacco and vaping.
American Cancer Society.Why people start smoking and why it’s hard to stop.
Lim KH, Cheong YL, Sulaiman N, et al.Agreement between the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (Ftnd) and the heaviness of smoking index (Hsi) for assessing the intensity of nicotine dependence among daily smokers.Tob Induc Dis. 2022;20:105. doi:10.18332%2Ftid%2F155376
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.Nicotine dependence.
American Heart Association.Is vaping better than smoking?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.E-cigarette use among youth.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.7 common withdrawal symptoms.
National Cancer Institute.Handling nicotine withdrawal and triggers when you decide to quit tobacco.
National Institute on Drug Abuse.Tobacco, nicotine, and e-cigarette research report: is nicotine addictive?
van Amsterdam J, van den Brink W.The effect of alcohol use on smoking cessation: a systematic review.Alcohol. 2023;109:13-22. doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.12.003
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical interventions to treat tobacco use and dependence among adults.
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