Why the first cigarette hooks some

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Many people try smoking. But why do some quickly abandon the practice while others are soon smoking more and more?

Research published today in the Journal of Neuroscience sheds some light on the question. By examining specific pathways and cell receptors in the brain, scientists have learned that nicotine reacts differently in the brains of different people. For some, areas of the brain related to pleasure, addiction and reward are activated.

‘During the early phase of tobacco exposure, many individuals find nicotine highly unpleasant and aversive, whereas others may become rapidly dependent on nicotine and find it rewarding,’ says the lead investigator of the study, Steven Laviolette of the department of anatomy and cell biology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario.

A pathway called the mesolimbic dopamine system is involved in the addictive properties of nicotine and other drugs. The scientists found they were able to manipulate the receptors in this system to control whether nicotine is processed as rewarding or aversive. The research could explain why some people are vulnerable to addiction and lead to treatments that prevent or treat addiction.

-- Shari Roan