Miscellaneous The effectiveness of many medications is greatly reduced in smokers. Nicotine has harmful effects on the stomach, the organ that helps in the digestion of food. In women, hoarseness is 17 times more frequent in smokers than in nonsmokers. Nicotine is the most prevalent psychoactive drug. Nicotine is only second to alcohol as the most abused drug.
Tobacco use is considered, by many, to be a legal form of substance abuse.
Each cigarette delivers about 6-8mg of nicotine. The most likely future nicotine addicts are teens targeted by tobacco industry advertisers. There is a persistent craving for the nicotine product. A lot of valuable time is spent trying to get some nicotine. Things that used to be important to a person, such as activities or personal relationships, have been pushed aside or given up completely for the opportunity to get a nicotine fix.