From: Charles Smith Subject: Addiction, Dreams and other Thoughts To all, I don't often post but usually read this list which is inspiring and helpful. I am an ex smoker (>20 years) who still gets a memory of the old pleasure when I see my brand (winstons) advertised. In regard to people who can smoke a little and apparently not get addicted: this is not just true of nicotine addiction: with other addictive substances such as alcohol, cocaine and heroin the extent of addiction is a biologic variable particular to the individual. That is to say that some people will get addicted easier than others, a few not at all, and some terribly. Alcohol is similiar but opposite in addiction potential: most don't get addicted, but for the few who do some get addicted worse than others. I think this is why some in the alcohol treatment community think that "social use" can be accomplished for certain patterns of abuse (probably not for addiction). With nicotine THE MOST ADDICTIVE CHEMICAL KNOWN there also seems to be a gradient of addiction potential and likely are some who can abuse and not become addicted. However most people who abuse nicotine become addicted and most become addicted before they are old enough to know better. This, of course, is why the sale and targeted advertisment of cigarettes to young people ought to be <> sanctioned. About dreams: I've posted this cite before: Dream of Absent-Minded Trangression: An Empirical Study of a Cognitive Withdrawal Symptom Peter Hajek and Michael Belcher J Abnormal Psychology 100(4):487-491 1991 "Having dreams about smoking [among 293 smokers abstinent for 1 - 4 weeks] was prospectively positively related to maintenance of abstinence. An explaination of this finding based on the association of smoking in dreams with aversive emotions is offered" Charles J. Smith MD -----------------------------------------------------------------------