78 



^''; that nicotine does stimulate the release of dopamine^^- and 

 that laboratory animals will decrease self -administration of 

 nicotine if the action of nicotine, or the release of dopamine, 

 in the brain is blocked^',". 



A number of top tobacco industry officials have stated that 

 they do not believe that tobacco is addictive^^. They may tell 

 you that smokers smoke for "pleasure," not to satisfy a nicotine 

 craving. Experts tell us that their patients report that only a 

 small minority of the cigarettes they smoke in a day are highly 

 pleasurable". Experts believe that the remainder are smoked to 

 primarily sustain nicotine blood levels and to avoid withdrawal 

 symptoms" . 



The industry couches nicotine's effects in euphemisms such 



as "satisfaction" or "impact" or "strength." Listen to what they 



say in one company's patent: 



It also has been generally recognized that the smoker's 

 perception of the "strength" of the cigarette is directly 

 related to the amount of nicotine contained in the cigarette 

 smoke during each puff". 



-patent no. 4,595,024 Cl:33-36 



But these terms only sidestep the fact that the companies are 



marketing a powerfully addictive agent. Despite the buzzwords 



used by industry, what smokers are addicted to is not "rich 



aroma" or "pleasure" or "satisfaction." What they are addicted 



to is nicotine, pure and simple, because of its psychoactive 



effects and its drug dependence qualities. 



To smokers who know that they are addicted, to those who 



have buried a loved one who was addicted, it is simply no longer 



