The Col: It's been known for a long time what happens in the brain when nicotine is present. I studied this in the late 70's because I thought learning why nicotine is addicting might help me overcome the addiction... then I learned that knowing and doing are two entirely different things.

Nicotine is addicting because the chemical is similar to one of the natural links in the wiring of your brain. Nicotine "successfully competes" for that link, which means the chemical intended for occuping that particular link in the wiring chain is shut out... it can't get in because nicotine got there first.

Then, a few days after you start introducing nicotine into your brain, manufacture of the natural chemical produced by your body (made for occupying that link in the chain) begins to shut down, because making it doesn't make sense if it's not being used for anything. In a way this is a testimony to your body's efficiency in dealing with a poison, because instead of trying to fight it your body gives in and accepts the new link.

But nicotine washes out very quickly, which means you need to keep replenishing it often to keep that link in place. So the signals meant to follow the circuitry are constanty being weakened and interrupted, until you take in more nicotine to fully replenish the link. Food and other things can trigger a desire to smoke, but you already have an internal trigger. Your mind starts saying to you, "Hey there, the link is dissolving... DO SOMETHING!!"

About 3 days after you stop smoking (three days of hell) your body finally figures out it ain't getting any more freebies to fill in that link, and it needs to start producing its own link again. Three whole days, yeah, it takes that long for my stupid lazy liberal no account brain to figure that out!!! Why can't there be better communication between my conscious mind and the goofballs who keep falling asleep at the switch inside my brain!! WAKE UP YOU IDIOTS, AND DO YOUR JOBS!!!!! Do I need to whack myself over the head with a frying pan to get your attention?!! Oh, sure, you'd like that, wouldn't you?!!! Boy, am I pissed!!! it's been a few hours since my last smoke... I deserve a break.