Nicotine, it turns out, is a drug that seems almost tailor-made for the human body. Yet every day, millions of people take it into their lungs. Renee Bittoun, a consultant in the field of smoking cessation, explains. When you smoke a cigarette, you get what's called a bolus of nicotine, a hot shot of it straight to the brain. Nicotine also helps to control body weight and focus our attention.
Tobacco plants are the only natural source of nicotine.
We now understand that it's this substance that keeps people smoking, despite all the warnings. In fact, it's one of the most addictive drugs we know. Is it any wonder the lure of the drug has transformed a wild bush into one of the world's most valuable crops. The first American colonies wouldn't have survived if they hadn't begun cultivating tobacco to supply the growing demand in Europe. Smoking had begun as a Native American ritual, but eventually it hooked the world.