Smoking Harms You

People who smoke are making a conscious decision to do something that will harm them. They are doing something that will kill them and it gives them no mood-altering conclusion. No euphoria, no high. So, what is to stop them from doing something else that will kill, them but gives them the greatest feeling ever? Nothing. Nicotine is and has always been the only gateway drug. I’m pretty sure I could just stop right here. I’m pretty sure you do not need any other deeper analysis of this then the simple, plain and punch you square in face the idea that…

Once you start using nicotine you, are more likely to use other drugs! The logic behind this theory is so basic and so rock solid further investigation and analysis should not be necessary. Although I do anticipate that a small village of Virginia Slim smokers still exist in a dark ally somewhere and they want to might me on this issue before Bingo start, so for those of you who think nicotine is not a gateway drug here are the facts.

1. Studies have shown

The New England Journal of Medicine stated on September 4th 2014 that “Epidemiological studies have shown that nicotine use is a gateway to the use of marijuana and cocaine in human populations. “ The hypothesis that Nicotine is a gateway drug came from Denise Kandel. Her studies found that in 2012, 87.9% of adults in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 34 who have used cocaine, smoked cigarettes before trying cocaine. Only 5.7% of this group began using cigarettes and cocaine at the same time. Only 3.5% used coke first.

2. Prevent Substance Abuse

The study also concluded that, one of the best ways to prevent substance abuse is to focus on preventing nicotine use first and foremost. Since the stats are so overwhelmingly in favor of nicotine being the first drug initiated into the system and leading to the use of harder drugs the study suggested that we stop the problem at the source, Duh. This makes too much sense. Essentially, if officer Crumpky and his buddy’s at D.A.R.E spent their time only talking to kids about the dangers of smoking they would have a far greater success rate keeping the tykes off the hard stuff. D.A.R.E. actually could have worked, they had a good idea, they were just fighting the wrong enemy.

3. Mice and Nicotine

In Science Translational Medicine on November 2, 2011, it was reported that mice who were given nicotine for 7 days were attracted to and sought out cocaine more than the mice who were not given cocaine. So the brain is actually hard wired to start looking for the next great drug once the switch has been flicked by the nicotine. Science is awesome.

So yes, I’m sure Aunt Estelle will tell us that she smoked her Camels for 50 years and never once did she want or use cocaine. That’s great for Aunt Estelle. I’m sure there is a kid in a half way house smoking his vape screaming I vape and I have 4 months sober! There’s probably an old timer at a meeting smoking his Winstons saying I smoke and I’ve never tried that jazz. Good for you guys, it works if you work it. The point is… If you do something that will kill and you don’t get high from it, you are probably going to do another thing that can kill you, that you do get high from. Oh, and there’s this point to, 87.9% of people who used cocaine used nicotine first. Nicotine is a gateway drug, period.