Nicotine Is Not the Sole Addiction Causing Agent in Cigarettes

Recent findings suggest that nicotine is not the sole-addictive component in cigarettes, some non-nicotinic components are also capable of  triggering the addiction.

This study was carried out by the researchers from Victoria University, who wanted to go beyond all the studies conducted so far on smoking addiction, which majorly focused on nicotine.

The researchers believe that a lack of understanding regarding the molecular biology of smoking addiction made researchers ignore the non-nicotine components. They reiterated that many  non-nicotinic ingredients added to the  addiction. This might be the reason why nicotine-based substitutes like chewing gums are not found that effective for curbing the urge to smoke.

Penelope Truman, from ESR (Institute of Environmental Science and Research) presented a study at this week's Smokefree Oceania conference in Auckland, New Zealand. She conducted this study on rats using pure nicotine and tobacco particulate matter (TPM) along with cigarettes and roll- your-own RYO/TPM and found that the rats were more eager to get a dose of non-nicotinic cigarette especially RYO/TPM than doses of cigarettes containing pure  nicotine.

Truman and his fellow researchers found that the rats were ready to press a lever for getting a dose of saline, which was blended with a type of tobacco smoke or with nicotine.

"Non-nicotinic components have a role in tobacco dependence and...some tobacco products have higher abuse liability, irrespective of nicotine levels," the study said, as reported by Medical Daily.

The researchers are yet to find the exact non-nicotinic component, which leads to addiction.

Cigarette is a major cause of various cancers and it also leads to about 6 million deaths globally every year, according to the WHO statistics for 2011.