Nicotine ‘as addictive as cocaine’
Respiratory consultant Dr Sean Gaine said there had been a lot of news recently about the bad effects of cocaine but he did not think these reports had much of an effect on stopping people using it.
“Nicotine is no different to cocaine. It is very difficult when your brain is locked into a substance to stop taking it,” said Dr Gaine at the launch of the Pfizer No Butts 2008 campaign in Dublin.
Psychological testing has found smokers tend to be extroverts, sociable, impulsive and tend not to be as reliable as non-smokers.
“In essence, they have different brains and smoke because they are uniquely susceptible to the addiction of nicotine,” he said.
Dr Gaine said it was vital to make cigarettes less attractive and less addictive, to help smokers quit.
“Newer therapies are very effective at modifying the brain’s response to nicotine and increasing the chance of successful quitting,” he said. “One of the new drugs we have blocks the effect of nicotine on the brain and makes people less inclined to want the next cigarette.”
Dr Jotham Coe, a Pfizer researcher who helped develop a drug that helps block nicotine receptors in the brain, said he smoked and quitting was his most difficult personal challenge ever. He said it was crucial to break the cycle and those who tried quit and failed should try again.
The smoking cessation programme, supported by Pfizer, includes a roadshow encouraging quitting by showing the benefits. The roadshow visits shopping centres in Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway and Dublin in January and February. There will also be a series of advertisements in the media.
Support for people wanting to quit is available on www.seriousquitters.ie and a free booklet is available by texting QUIT with name and address to 51000 or phoning 1890 946388.
The Irish Cancer Society’s health promotion manager, Norma Cronin, pointed out 7,000 people died from smoking-related disease in Ireland every year.
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