Nicotine Addiction

Question 1

combined health risk of nicotine and alcohol increase by ___? Is it additive or synergistic?

Answer 1

50% synergistic

Question 2

What are the two leading causes of death related to smoking?

Answer 2

lung cancer

coronary artery disease

Question 3

HOw many chemicals are there in 1 cigarette? How many are known carcinogens?

Answer 3

over 4000

43 are carcinogens

Question 4

Specifically, what does the carbon monoxide increase the risk of? How?

Answer 4

cardiac events

it binds to hemoglobin and changes its form to carbooxyhemoglobin which reduces the availability of Hb for O2 delivery so you get hypoxia, ischemia and heart attacks

Question 5

WHat effect does smoking have on nitric oxide’s vasodilation effects?

Answer 5

It reduces its vasodilation, thus reducing the threshold for acute carciovascular events

Question 6

WHat effect does nicotine have on the elasticity of arteries?

Answer 6

It decreases elasticity so that they become stiff and less compliant with acute needs. It accelerates atherosclerosis

Question 7

How does smoking increase the risk for blood clots? multiple ways…

Answer 7

it increases the amount of clotting factors in the blood

because of the reduced Hb you have an increase in RBCs which increases clo risk

also activates platelets

Question 8

What effect does smoking have on cholesterol?

Answer 8

It increases total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL

It decreases the good cholesterol - HDL

Question 9

What are the nitrosamines in tobacco linked to?

Answer 9

cancer - lung CA especially

Question 10

How do the carcinogens in cigarettes cause cancer in general?

Answer 10

DNA mutations and excess cell division

Question 11

True or false

Light cigarettes are safer for you than regular cigarettes?

Answer 11

false

may actually be worse because of compensation smoking

Question 12

Currently, is there a gender difference in smoking habits?

Answer 12

Not really - men are slightly higher, but the gap has decreased since the 60s

women have a harder time quitting though

Question 13

RIght now, what percent of the population smokes?

Answer 13

about 20%

Question 14

What neurological system is responsible for the reinforcing effects of toacco use? With what NT?

Answer 14

The Mesolimbic system

dopamine pathway

Question 15

What three brain structures are involved in the mesolimbic pathway?

Answer 15

ventral tegmental area

nucleus accumbens

prefrontal cortex

Question 16

What are the 6 NTs released with tobacco use?

Answer 16

dopamine especially

serotonin

norepinephrine

acetylcholine

vasopressin

beta-endorphin

Question 17

What are the two different definitions of tolerance in terms of tobacco use?

Answer 17

1. reduced responsiveness of drug at the site of action
2. increased number of nicotinic receptors

Question 18

What are the withdrawal symptoms of tobacco addiction?

Answer 18

concentration problems

sleep problems

increased appetite and weight

negative affect

Question 19

Why are cigarettes the most addicting form of nicotine?

Answer 19

because they are specially designed to give the effect of the nicotine the fastest -

the shorter the amount of time between the hit and the effect, the more addictive it is

Question 20

If a nicotine patch gives the same amount of nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes, how can it help people quit?

Answer 20

1. It takes much longer for the effect to be noticeable, so it’s less reinforced than cigarettes
2. it’s a gradual build up and not a bolus like a cigarette it - less addictive

Question 21

What can the community and population do to decrease use?

Answer 21

tax

limit industry advertising

smoke free policies

restrict minor access

change the product

Question 22

What percentage of a tax is needed to reduce demand by 4% in high income countries and 8% in middle income countries?

Answer 22

10%

Question 23

What is sidestream smoke? What is mainstream smoke?

Answer 23

Sidestream smoke comes from the cigarette itself. Mainstream smoke is what the smoker exhales into the enironment

Question 24

What percentage of nonsmokers in the US are exposed to secondhand smoke on a regular basis?

Answer 24

88%

Question 25

Non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke for just ___ minutes experience hardening of the arteries.

Answer 25

30 minutes!

Question 26

secondhand smoke is the __ leading cause of preventable death in the US.

Answer 26

3rd

(direct smoking is the 1st)