Therapist Unlimited Blog

What is Nicotine and how is it used?

Nicotine is the stimulant found in tobacco products, and can be smoked in cigarettes and pipes, or chewed. It is highly addictive and can cause long term damage to the user, sometimes resulting in death. Why people begin to abuse Nicotine. Many people will begin to abuse nicotine in their early teens, and most will not stop until they are much older, if they are able to stop at all. Unfortunately this drug is often seen as a social drug, and the effects of the drug abuse are not thought about. Young teens will often begin to smoke and abuse nicotine due to peer pressure. The effects of the drug Nicotine Nicotine in tobacco produces a stimulation effect when a person first begins smoking it. This continues until the drug user it addicted. When addicted, the drug user will have to take in more nicotine to fend off the feelings of irritability and anxiety that can occur when the drug is stopped. Rather than taking the drug nicotine for its stimulating effect, the user now has to take it to feel ‘normal’. Nicotine now goes from being a drug that stimulates, to one that relaxes the user. How the drug Nicotine harms the user. Nicotine harms the drug user in a variety of ways. It can increase blood pressure, and in some cases, the heart rate can be raised up to 40 per cent. There is also the risks that taking nicotine in tobacco brings with it. The tar that tobacco produces releases chemicals known to cause cancer into the bloodstream. These increase the risk of the user contracting lung cancer, which in many cases can lead to death. Smokers who obtain nicotine in this way also run the increased risk of suffering from emphysema and other bronchial conditions. Nicotine can also harm people who do not abuse the drug. Smoking in a public place can cause second hand smoke to enter the bloodstream of others. This has been found to have a detrimental effect, with some developing the same health conditions as smokers. Fortunately there is an easy to administer drug test that can detect if someone is abusing nicotine. The Nicotine Screen-Cassette is easy to use and if used as part of a program designed to help a user give up nicotine, this can be helpful and beneficial to the user, by ensuring that regular checks can monitor their progress. A simple drug kit to test for nicotine can also be helpful for people who may be worried that they are suffering the consequences of second hand smoke from nicotine abusers close to them.