Smokeout 2000 I have worked in the field of chemical dependency for 25 years, and I often have heard people, who have quit using other drugs, say that tobacco is the hardest drug to stop using. This frequently catches people off guard because tobacco is a legal drug, and there are very few treatment centers for tobacco cessation in comparison with the many treatment programs for alcohol, cocaine or heroin. If you have felt that quitting your smoking habit is the hardest thing you have ever done, you are not alone. You are not crazy, nor are you exaggerating the truth.
Tobacco is highly addictive, with addictive behaviors that are very hard to change.
There are very good reasons why this is true, and understanding them can help you to conquer your tobacco habit. All drugs cause changes in brain function. The user usually experiences the results as pleasurable, helpful or relaxing. This action causes greater concentrations of dopamine to remain in the synaptic area between the neurons, and produces a pleasurable feeling that is a positive reinforcement to repeat the use of the drug. Nicotine does this, too.