Nicotine Dependence

Smoking causes nicotine dependence. The smoker's body creates a nicotine dependency, meaning the body develops a need for a certain amount of nicotine at all times and if the amount of nicotine is reduced, the body will react with nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

It is because the body is nicotine dependent that makes quitting smoking very difficult. Most people trying to quit smoking will experience withdrawal symptoms to varying degrees depending on the degree of nicotine dependency.

The different degrees of nicotine dependence are:

• Low nicotine dependency
• Low to moderate nicotine dependency
• Moderate nicotine dependency
• High nicotine dependency

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Low nicotine dependence

Low nicotine dependency is generally characterized by:

• not needing to smoke within 1 hour of waking
• not needing more than 10 cigarettes a day

Low to moderate nicotine dependence

Low to moderate nicotiny dependence is generally characterized by:

• not needing to smoke within 30 minutes of waking
• smoking between 10 to 20 cigarettes a day

Moderate nicotine dependence

Moderate nicotine dependency is generally characterized by:

• smoking within 30 minutes of waking
• smoking between 20 to 30 cigarettes a day

High nicotine dependence

High nicotine dependency is generally characterized by:

• smoking within 5 minutes of waking, or
• waking up at night to smoke
• smoking more than 30 cigarettes a day