Monday, May 23, 2011

Management and Treatment of Nicotine Addiction

Nicotine is a psychoactive drug that induces euphoria, makes the smoker addicted to it and leads to nicotine withdrawal syndrome when it is absent. Factors like nicotine dependence, genetic factors, and psychosocial factors influence the smoking behavior in the people. Nicotine persists in the body up to six to eight after smoking is stopped. Nicotine is one of the addiction that it is very difficult to stop. Nicotine affects the mood and performance and is the source of addiction to tobacco.

There are three types of effective treatments for nicotine addiction and they are

Nicotine Replacement Treatments:
Nicotine gum, the trans dermal patch, nasal spray, and inhaler are the nicotine replacement therapies approved in the United States. They are used to relieve withdrawal symptoms because they produce less severe physiological alterations and provides lower levels of nicotine than the tobacco. These types of nicotine products have little abuse potential because they do not produce the pleasurable effects of tobacco products. They also protects the addicts from the carcinogens and the dangerous gases associated with tobacco smoke.

Non Nicotine Therapies:
Bupropion is an antidepressant is the first non nicotine prescription drug for replacing the tobacco. In December 1996, Federal advisory committee recommended that the FDA approve bupropion to become the first drug which can be taken in pill form and do not contain nicotine and helps people to quit smoking.

Behavioral Treatments:
Behavioral aspects also plays an important role in nicotine addiction treatment. Generally behavioral methods are employed to discover high risk relapse situations, create an aversion to smoking and to develop self monitoring of smoking behavior.

Along with the above said methods others factors like support from family and friends, avoiding smokers and smoking environments also influences addiction treatment. Both behavioral and pharmacological treatments can be extremely successful when employed alone but combining both the types of treatments create most effective approach.

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