Imagine, for a second, that Freedom is a heroin recovery support group instead of nicotine. Picture each of us as recovering heroin addicts who have never smoked. When a "great" EXCUSE for relapse comes along what would we each consider putting into our blood stream? Nicotine? NOT!!! The thought would never cross our minds! We'd reach for heroin. The recovering alcoholic, the cocaine addict, they'd each reach for their own substance too.
The ability of a drug to produce an intoxicating type high is not a measure of its power to create dependence in those who use it. In every drug comparison research study that I've been able to locate (three so far) nicotine has ranked first in "dependence" when compared to heroin, cocaine or alcohol. We can either use this information as another "excuse" or as "motivation" for getting serious about taking our lives back.
This isn't new information either. The first study findings made headlines in 1986 when the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Koop, proclaimed to the world that nicotine was right up there with heroin and cocaine in its addictive properties. Science has come a long way but there is still much to learn. Today scientists are analyzing how addictive substances alter the brain's normal dopamine patters to give each type of addict their very own "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh" feeling. We don't need to become brain scientists in order to taste victory in our lives. All we need to do is remember the most important lesson of all - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!


Edited 1 time by FreedomNicotine Feb 15 09 10:09 PM.