Optimal Living System

Smoking is highly addictive, and although the number of smokers has halved in the last 40 years in the United States, smoking is still responsible for hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths annually. Understanding what makes smoking so addictive is important, as it can result in better strategies for smoking cessation. Dopamine is a chemical produced in the brain which has been associated with pleasure and reward, and as it is released when smoking tobacco, it is thought that this part of the reason for the addictive nature of smoking. Dopamine as a Neurotransmitter Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain which acts on dopamine receptors to cause a response in neurons. The response is dependent on the location of the receptors in the brain. For example, dopamine is important in the movement and coordination centers of the brain. Research has also shown that dopamine is released in large quantities ...