Summary
Views questioning the addictiveness of nicotine continue to be expressed in some quarters. Patterns of use by smokers and the remarkable intractability of smoking point to compulsive use as the norm. Studies in animal and human subjects have shown that nicotine can function as a reinforcer, but under a rather limited range of conditions. There is a resemblance between the discriminative stimulus and other effects of nicotine, amphetamine and cocaine. There is a well-defined nicotine withdrawal syndrome that is alleviated by nicotine replacement. Thus, the evidence identifies nicotine as an addictive agent, comparable to heroin and cocaine.
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© 1995 Birkhäuser Verlag Basel
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Stolerman, I.P., Jarvis, M.J. (1995). Evidence that Nicotine is Addictive. In: Clarke, P.B.S., Quik, M., Adlkofer, F., Thurau, K. (eds) Effects of Nicotine on Biological Systems II. Advances in Pharmacological Sciences. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7445-8_25
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7445-8_25
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