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At least one person has published alleged doubts about whether cigarettes are addictive, with their doubt/claim being supposedly backed by at least one scientific study.

Is this a reasonable question (for example is there a good definition of the word "addiction"), and if so what is the answer?

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ChrisW
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  • See also [Does addictive behavior exist?](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/981) – ChrisW Jun 09 '11 at 02:56
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    I agree that the definition of "addiction" is a potential source for hazard. The study you link to doesn't seem to argue that cigarettes aren't addictive, per se, it instead focuses on the *mechanism*, concluding that it is based on habit/social cues rather than physiological deprivation. I don't know what an "approved" source for a definition would be, but [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction) has some candidate material. In particular, "Addiction can... be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite the negative consequences associated with it." – Hendy Jun 09 '11 at 04:04
  • The article itself seems to play with words in that it seems to define "addiction" as only resulting from physiological effects, such as when it contrasts nicotine with heroine, "which creates true systemic and biologically-based withdrawal symptoms in the body of the user." Perhaps the claim to be evaluated is whether nicotine creates any objectively measurable withdrawal symptoms (preferably measured by instruments, not questionnaires and observation). His study only examined plane flights and Sabbath behavior of smokers -- not an exhaustive examination by any means. – Hendy Jun 09 '11 at 04:07
  • Cigarettes are very observable as addictive, but the question should be is tobacco addictive? Cigarettes contain a lot more than just tobacco. Home grown tobacco smokers report less addictive properties and less general drug effect too. They also report not as much 'taste' as commercial cigarettes though? – TFD Jun 09 '11 at 08:11

2 Answers2

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A huge number of studies indicate that nicotine, which is present in all cigaretes, is highly addictive. Here are some references:

This book questions the addictive properties of nicotine, but even it admits: "Nicotine is almost universally believed to be the major factor that motivates smoking and impedes cessation.". While I don't have access to the book, it seems likely that the author believes that some other ingredient of cigarettes causes addiction rather than cigarettes not being addictive.

So the huge majority of informed opinion says Yes, cigarettes are addictive. It may be that a few people dissent from that view.

DJClayworth
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    Cigarettes are as addictive because they also contain harmine which is an MAO inhibitor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmine Nicotine gum and patches alone won't hook you as strong as cigarettes do.. – CuriousIndeed Apr 13 '15 at 17:26
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National health authorities publish assertions (citing scientific/other studies) that cigarettes are addictive:

ChrisW
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  • posted a similar link to the relevant US agency a few days ago in another thread which was promptly downvoted because apparently someone thought it non-authorative to reference the US government's anti-addiction agency... – jwenting Jun 09 '11 at 08:08
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    this answer seems too simple and is in direct contrast to some of the statements made in the original article. Health Canada says that nicotine actually *does* have physical withdrawal symptoms and that addiction to it *is* caused by chemical/biological changes in the brain. I think a sufficient answer to this question should put forward the methods used to determine that this either is or isn't the case -- studies simply observing behavior don't cut it for me. There are lots of sources from Health Canada -- can you "beef up" this answer with specific study methodologies? – Hendy Jun 09 '11 at 12:54