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Tobacco addiction – more specifically, an addiction to the nicotine contained in tobacco products – produces changes in the brain’s chemistry that can make quitting tobacco products difficult.  Tobacco addiction creates both psychological and physiological responses in the body that cause an intense craving for tobacco products. This craving is so powerful that nicotine has been shown to be more addictive than crack cocaine or heroin.

Today approximately 70 million Americans regularly use tobacco products.  While this number is remarkably high, it is 50% below what it was at the peak of tobacco product usage in 1965. 

The good news is that there are treatments to break your nicotine addiction.  For an overview of treatment options see: 

National Institute on Drug Abuse: Are There Effective Treatments for Tobacco Addiction?

If you're not sure if you qualify as "dependent" on nicotine, the Mayo Clinic has published a list of the most common signs and symptoms of tobacco addiction:
MayoClinic: Quit Smoking - Nicotine Dependence - Symptoms

Once you’ve acknowledged your tobacco addiction, it's time to take action. Continued use of tobacco products can damage almost every organ in the body.  It also increases blood pressure and the chances of getting certain types of cancer.  Quitting all forms of tobacco as quickly as possible is vital.  For many people, however, the addiction is so intense that quitting on their own is virtually impossible. 

The American Cancer Society has a quiz to determine if you need help to stop smoking or using other forms of tobacco:

American Cancer Society: Quiz - Do You Need Help to Quit?

Tobacco Addiction Myths

• It’s too late for me to quit smoking.
• Addicts are just weak-willed.

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