This focused the Fellowship on the addictive agent and also widened our welcome to dippers, chewers, or anyone who sought help from nicotine addiction in any form. We describe nicotine as cunning, baffling, powerful and patient. We experienced the addiction as a disease of the body, mind, and spirit. Addiction is not an ongoing disease because of a lack of will power or a deficiency of moral character. Many powerful and moral people have used tobacco and failed at attempts to quit.
Nicotine generates a physical compulsion combined with a mental obsession to use more nicotine .
Nicotine addiction also impaired our spiritual connection to a power greater than ourselves. When we continually reached for nicotine, we increasingly placed our faith in what we reached for. Every person who uses tobacco is not necessarily a nicotine addict. Some only use tobacco once in a great while, can take it or leave it, and do not experience any withdrawal symptoms. However, these tobacco users are the rare exception.