Key takeaways
- Nicotine addiction onset varies with use frequency.
- Cravings and withdrawal are hallmarks of addiction.
- Cravings persist after quitting, withdrawal symptoms may vary.
- Withdrawal symptoms linked to nicotine absence adjustments.
- Risk assessment: First exposure's impact crucial for dependence.
In the past, if someone said they were a “nicotine addict”, most people would take that to mean that they were a regular smoker.
Today, with the emergence of e-cigarettes, increasing numbers of people may be dependent on nicotine without ever having smoked a cigarette.
In general, it’s easier to get addicted to drugs and substances if they can enter the bloodstream quickly. For example, smoking allows nicotine to get into the bloodstream almost immediately.
In contrast, nicotine patches made for smoking cessation can take an hour to reach maximum nicotine levels (which make them effective for weaning off nicotine dependence).
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So, how long does it take to get addicted to nicotine? Let’s learn more about it in today’s post.
How long does it take to get addicted to nicotine?
According to the FDA, nicotine is the biggest reason why cigarettes are highly addictive. When a person starts smoking, cravings can begin very quickly, even if they don’t smoke regularly.
Even after your first cigarette, you might feel withdrawals within a few hours or days.
With nicotine involved, it’s extremely easy to form habits around a chemical that activates your body’s reward system.
Some research has shown that young people that smoke only occasionally still experience “cue-elicited” cravings from peers or other sources. This makes them vulnerable to regular usage and eventually developing withdrawal symptoms.
While it’s true that nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products contain nicotine, they do not help you form habits. For instance, a nicotine patch does this by providing you small doses of nicotine — not enough to create the ‘hit’ and pleasurable feeling of a puff from a cigarette.
We know less about other forms of nicotine addiction because non-tobacco nicotine use has, historically, been very rare.
Of course, today, there are multiple forms of non-tobacco nicotine, most notably e-cigarettes, which have some important differences compared with cigarettes.
But, even these products, if made to help you stop quitting and used under a professional’s guidance, can help you stop smoking for good.
What does nicotine addiction look like?
Someone addicted to cigarettes will experience two different parts to their addiction.
Cravings
Cravings are a strong desire to smoke, and these are usually strongest when a smoker hasn’t had a cigarette for a while or does something they typically do while smoking.
Craving is the main reason why quitting smoking is so hard.
You can be entirely resolved not to smoke in one context but suddenly experience intense cravings in another. These cravings are called “cue-elicited” cravings. About 50% of long-term smokers who stop smoking will experience occasional cravings for several years after quitting.
Withdrawal
Most dependent smokers will experience mood changes or confused thinking when they stop. Some people may even put on weight.
These symptoms vary in their intensity. Some people can find them easy to deal with, while others find them overwhelming. The symptoms happen because nicotine mimics other signalling chemicals in the nervous system, and over time, the nervous system lowers its own production of those chemicals.
When nicotine is withdrawn, the body no longer produces enough, and this causes the symptoms. It can take many months for a smoker’s body to “reset” and the withdrawal symptoms to entirely stop.
Nicotine withdrawal can go beyond changing moods or having brain fog. It can also cause the following symptoms:
- Diarrhoea
- Arthritic pain
- Muscle pain
- Lower energy levels (or to do anything at all)
- Extreme hunger
- Temporary breathing difficulties
- Lack of strength
- Migraines
All of these symptoms quickly go away once a smoker gets through the first few weeks of quitting.
Nicotine is cleared by the body very quickly (although this too varies between people). Dependent smokers, then, experience a constant cycle of withdrawal and relief. This, in turn, increases the number of contexts in which a person smokes, leading to more possible “cue-elicited” cravings.
How do you deal with withdrawals?
The best way to deal with nicotine withdrawal (should you decide to quit) is to keep yourself busy. Most successful quitters mention forgetting about cigarettes whenever they did something they truly liked or loved.
Here’s a quick list of things you can do to help you manage your withdrawals and cravings:
The difference between smoking vs. vaping
The first difference is that e-cigarettes are not lit and do not contain tobacco. This is important because, in addition to disease-causing chemicals in cigarette smoke, some compounds may increase the addictive potential of nicotine.
The second is that a cigarette takes around 10 to 15 puffs to consume, but with an e-cigarette, you can take a couple of puffs and put it away.
A cigarette doses you with a certain amount of nicotine and does so in a short time. An e-cigarette, on the other hand, lets you use the amount you want and lets you spread it out over a more extended period.
Some research, while not conclusive, appears to bear this out. Despite delivering nicotine very efficiently, exclusive users of e-cigarettes report less dependence than when they were smoking.
The latest Cochrane Review found high-certainty evidence that NVPs are more effective than NRT in helping people stop smoking.
This research gives some cause for optimism for current smokers looking to use e-cigarettes to stop smoking. But it’s important to note that it does not necessarily mean that e-cigarettes are less likely to cause dependence in youth.
Read more on Prescribed Nicotine Vaping.
More About Vaping
Vaping is a second-line solution to stop smoking. After going through nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), your GP may prescribe nicotine vaping products (NVPs) as another solution to help you stop smoking.
More on vaping, there are two kinds of products available on the market – one that you should stick with, and another that’s already banned from being imported and sold in the country since March 2024.
Pharmacy Vapes
Pharmacy NVPs are built differently from the ones you’ll find sold in grocery stores, corner shops, and even local tobacconists. They’re also not sold in these establishments and are only available through a pharmacy.
They’re manufactured with the gold standard for medical products – GMP and ISO standards – and by medical professionals who are involved throughout the process of formulating the e-liquid (used for aerosolisation) and the compounds from the vapour or aerosol.
When you use NVPs from pharmacies, you can be sure they’re made to help you stop smoking for good.
Illegal NVPs
On the other hand, there are illegal disposable vaping products – the ones we’ve mentioned sold almost anywhere you look. These are imported from foreign manufacturers who do not comply to any standard except turning the biggest profit possible.
Furthermore, these NVPs contained nickel and lead and foreign saliva. It can also contain dangerous levels of nicotine (up to 357mg), which are masked by fruity and delectable flavours designed to keep customers hooked and buying.
Illegal disposable vapes are already banned from being imported and sold in the country as of 2024. The only way to use an NVP is to go through a smoking cessation programme with a GP, get a script if your GP deems it necessary, and purchase an NVP through your local pharmacy.
A better way of thinking about the risk of nicotine addiction
Suppose a person ends up with “full-blown” nicotine dependence because of the vicious cycle of craving and withdrawal that began with a single cigarette. Can’t we say that it started with that first cigarette?
Perhaps “how long does it take to get addicted to nicotine” is the wrong question to ask in the first place.
Instead, let’s try this: If you’re young and you try a cigarette, there’s a 50% chance that you are going to go on to become a daily smoker. If you’re young and try a vape, there’s a chance you’ll become dependent, even if the research says that it’s low as no one yet knows how high it is.
The best path though, is not to try anything that involves nicotine. Most smokers or ex-smokers would agree that it’s never worth taking the chance.
It’s very easy to form new habits, especially when it has a chemical that affects your dopamine system and makes you feel rewarded for doing nothing at all.
Want to talk to a professional about quitting? We can help!
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If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to friendly Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good.