5 ms·

How addictive is tobacco/smoking as compared to Opiates/Heroin?

by sidcool 10y ago

fithisux 10y ago
"Animal studies by NIDA-funded researchers have shown that acetaldehyde, another chemical found in tobacco smoke, dramatically increases the reinforcing properties of nicotine and may also contribute to tobacco addiction. The investigators further report that this effect is age-related: adolescent animals display far more sensitivity to this reinforcing effect, which suggests that the brains of adolescents may be more vulnerable to tobacco addiction."
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
raverbashing 10y ago
Considering opiate withdraw can cause death I'd say tobacco is less addictive
- mv 10y ago
  Opioid withdrawal while uncomfortable generally does not lead to death. However withdrawal from benzodiazepines and alcohol are both very dangerous and can lead to death. http://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-treatments/risk-of-death/ http://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-tre...
- drvdevd 10y ago
  Actually I believe clinically, "addictiveness" is measured by what it takes to develop a dependence in the first place, rather that what it takes to get rid of that dependence or even the physical effects of an abrupt cessation. I heard somewhere (sorry no references) that by that measure, nicotine is one of if not the most addictive substance known.
  - bigpeopleareold 10y ago
    I think you need very large quantities of whatever is in tobacco that makes you addicted to have physical dependency on it. (Is it nicotine?) I smoke a pipe on weekends. I have no physical craving for tobacco during the week and sometimes I just don't want to even on the weekends. The most amount of cigarettes I had throughout my life was probably equal to one pack and I never inhaled it because I don't feel like choking on smoke. The worst effect I get with nicotine is dizziness but never any physical dependency or withdrawal from its absence in my body. I just wish they did more studies on the effects of occasional use of tobacco, via pipes and cigars to see the effect of what occasional smoking does to someone.
    - drvdevd 10y ago
      I love nicotine despite the "factoid" about its' addictiveness I listed above, and I say that as a former smoker (sometimes up to a pack a day, for about 6 years). I'm actually at the point where I can smoke occssionally and not feel the need to keep smoking, although I would simply prefer to vape anyway, personally. I too would like to know more about the effect of occasional smoking.
  - CoryG89 10y ago
    I think your definitions are almost correct here. Addiction is actually defined as a medical condition ”characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences". So addiction is technically a mental thing and susceptibility to it depends not just on the drug, but on the person, mentality, self control, etc. When a lot of people talk about addiction they are actually thinking of dependence, susceptibility to which is only dependent on the drug and the amount of use. You can have one, or the other, or both. I believe that while both nicotine and opiates can be addictive from first use, it takes a much longer prolonged use of nicotine to form a strong physical dependence (from personal experience, on the order of a few years of regular use), unlike opiates which can form a strong physical dependence after just a short time (as little as just a few weeks of regular use). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
pasta 10y ago
Not exactly an answer to your question, but some years ago (2010) this report was made in the UK about the Harm Caused By Drugs: http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/original-size/20101106_WOC504_0.gif http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/or... Edit: here another chart showing the 'dependence' of tobacco is very high: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/files/1-medical-marijuana-images/ranking-20-drugs-and-alcohol-by-overall-harm.png http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/files/1-medical-marijuana...
delegate 10y ago
I've once read somewhere that they polled heroin addicts, asking them what they'd rather do first time they wake up in the morning - shoot heroin or smoke a cigarette. Of course the vast majority said they'd smoke a cigarette. I've never been a heroin addict, but I've been a tobacco smoker for many years and I can confirm that smoking a cig was definitely the most important thing I had to do in the morning. Also if I had to spend my last money on food or a pack of cigarettes, obviously and without further consideration, I would choose the cigarettes. So yeah, pretty addictive.
- ommunist 10y ago
  What kinds of cigarettes were you smoking exactly?
  - delegate 10y ago
    I started with Lucky Strike, then smoked Marlboro Lights for about 18 years, then the last two years or so I smoked organic rolling tobacco - Cross Road. I've stopped smoking 18 months ago, but even after 1.5 years, I still get the urge to smoke almost every day.
    - mountaineer22 10y ago
      How old were you when you first smoked? I have anecdotally heard that if one had not smoked by adulthood, chances of addiction are fairly low.
      - ommunist 10y ago
        My own experience confirms this. I am not addicted, I started well after thirty and I only smoke real tobacco. Instead of mental fog on a month without tobacco I am getting the previous default state of mind, and after a pipe, I am getting very cool focus.
    - havetocharge 10y ago
      In my experience the urge went away completely after several years..
stordoff 10y ago
I'd be interested to know how variable it is from person to person. I had long-term (>1y) treatment with reasonably high doses of fairly mild opiates (tramadol/codeine) twice, as well long-term treatment with benzodiazepines, and each time I literally just stopped - no tapering or dose reduction, no withdrawal or ill effects (aside from the original pain returning), and no cravings to seek more Cigarettes, on the other hand, I've smoked a couple of times (1 or 2 cigarettes each time), and every time there's been this thought at the back of my head "I should get some cigarettes" for most of the following day. It's obviously not addiction and easy enough to ignore, but it's definitely a noticeable effect. Interestingly two lengthy (4 hour plus) shisha sessions didn't have the same effect (was a little light-headed and felt like I'd had about 50 cups of coffee, but no effects or cravings the following day).

How addictive is tobacco/smoking as compared to Opiates/Heroin?

by sidcool 10y ago

How addictive is tobacco/smoking as compared to Opiates/Heroin?

"Animal studies by NIDA-funded researchers have shown that acetaldehyde, another chemical found in tobacco smoke, dramatically increases the reinforcing properties of nicotine and may also contribute to tobacco addiction. The investigators further report that this effect is age-related: adolescent animals display far more sensitivity to this reinforcing effect, which suggests that the brains of adolescents may be more vulnerable to tobacco addiction."

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

raverbashing 10y ago

Considering opiate withdraw can cause death I'd say tobacco is less addictive

mv 10y ago
Opioid withdrawal while uncomfortable generally does not lead to death. However withdrawal from benzodiazepines and alcohol are both very dangerous and can lead to death. http://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-treatments/risk-of-death/ http://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-tre...
drvdevd 10y ago
Actually I believe clinically, "addictiveness" is measured by what it takes to develop a dependence in the first place, rather that what it takes to get rid of that dependence or even the physical effects of an abrupt cessation. I heard somewhere (sorry no references) that by that measure, nicotine is one of if not the most addictive substance known.
- bigpeopleareold 10y ago
  I think you need very large quantities of whatever is in tobacco that makes you addicted to have physical dependency on it. (Is it nicotine?) I smoke a pipe on weekends. I have no physical craving for tobacco during the week and sometimes I just don't want to even on the weekends. The most amount of cigarettes I had throughout my life was probably equal to one pack and I never inhaled it because I don't feel like choking on smoke. The worst effect I get with nicotine is dizziness but never any physical dependency or withdrawal from its absence in my body. I just wish they did more studies on the effects of occasional use of tobacco, via pipes and cigars to see the effect of what occasional smoking does to someone.
  - drvdevd 10y ago
    I love nicotine despite the "factoid" about its' addictiveness I listed above, and I say that as a former smoker (sometimes up to a pack a day, for about 6 years). I'm actually at the point where I can smoke occssionally and not feel the need to keep smoking, although I would simply prefer to vape anyway, personally. I too would like to know more about the effect of occasional smoking.
- CoryG89 10y ago
  I think your definitions are almost correct here. Addiction is actually defined as a medical condition ”characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences". So addiction is technically a mental thing and susceptibility to it depends not just on the drug, but on the person, mentality, self control, etc. When a lot of people talk about addiction they are actually thinking of dependence, susceptibility to which is only dependent on the drug and the amount of use. You can have one, or the other, or both. I believe that while both nicotine and opiates can be addictive from first use, it takes a much longer prolonged use of nicotine to form a strong physical dependence (from personal experience, on the order of a few years of regular use), unlike opiates which can form a strong physical dependence after just a short time (as little as just a few weeks of regular use). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

pasta 10y ago

Not exactly an answer to your question, but some years ago (2010) this report was made in the UK about the Harm Caused By Drugs: http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/original-size/20101106_WOC504_0.gif http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/or... Edit: here another chart showing the 'dependence' of tobacco is very high: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/files/1-medical-marijuana-images/ranking-20-drugs-and-alcohol-by-overall-harm.png http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/files/1-medical-marijuana...

delegate 10y ago

I've once read somewhere that they polled heroin addicts, asking them what they'd rather do first time they wake up in the morning - shoot heroin or smoke a cigarette. Of course the vast majority said they'd smoke a cigarette. I've never been a heroin addict, but I've been a tobacco smoker for many years and I can confirm that smoking a cig was definitely the most important thing I had to do in the morning. Also if I had to spend my last money on food or a pack of cigarettes, obviously and without further consideration, I would choose the cigarettes. So yeah, pretty addictive.

ommunist 10y ago
What kinds of cigarettes were you smoking exactly?
- delegate 10y ago
  I started with Lucky Strike, then smoked Marlboro Lights for about 18 years, then the last two years or so I smoked organic rolling tobacco - Cross Road. I've stopped smoking 18 months ago, but even after 1.5 years, I still get the urge to smoke almost every day.
  - mountaineer22 10y ago
    How old were you when you first smoked? I have anecdotally heard that if one had not smoked by adulthood, chances of addiction are fairly low.
    - ommunist 10y ago
      My own experience confirms this. I am not addicted, I started well after thirty and I only smoke real tobacco. Instead of mental fog on a month without tobacco I am getting the previous default state of mind, and after a pipe, I am getting very cool focus.
  - havetocharge 10y ago
    In my experience the urge went away completely after several years..

stordoff 10y ago

I'd be interested to know how variable it is from person to person. I had long-term (>1y) treatment with reasonably high doses of fairly mild opiates (tramadol/codeine) twice, as well long-term treatment with benzodiazepines, and each time I literally just stopped - no tapering or dose reduction, no withdrawal or ill effects (aside from the original pain returning), and no cravings to seek more Cigarettes, on the other hand, I've smoked a couple of times (1 or 2 cigarettes each time), and every time there's been this thought at the back of my head "I should get some cigarettes" for most of the following day. It's obviously not addiction and easy enough to ignore, but it's definitely a noticeable effect. Interestingly two lengthy (4 hour plus) shisha sessions didn't have the same effect (was a little light-headed and felt like I'd had about 50 cups of coffee, but no effects or cravings the following day).