”From a scientific standpoint, nicotine is just as hard, or harder, to quit than heroin.” This jarring statement from nicotine researcher Dr. Neil Benowitz may explain why so many people struggle with giving up nicotine for years, or even a lifetime. 

When individuals use conventional cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco or e-cigarettes, the bloodstream quickly absorbs the chemical nicotine and transports it to the brain. The brain responds by releasing dopamine, the “happy hormone,” producing a pleasurable sensation. The body eventually grows accustomed to that sensation and becomes dependent on nicotine to produce it. When a smoker quits cigarettes, they may begin to feel angrier, sadder and hungrier due to the lack of stimulation from nicotine. They start to crave that happy hormone feeling. This is nicotine addiction. 

Viable Alternatives to Nicotine 

Overcoming nicotine addiction is no easy task for many. But there are substitutes for nicotine that are designed to wean addicts off of this harmful substance. In 1984, nicotine addicts found a new hope as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT products were first introduced in the form of gum, then later patches, lozenges, inhalers and other methods. Many of these were originally offered by prescription only but subsequently became available over the counter.  

NRTs act upon the receptors in the brain that are affected by nicotine, easing the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that most people who give up nicotine experience. Quite often, using multiple NRT methods at the same time yields better results. According to researchers, NRTs boost tobacco quit rates by up to 70%. In most cases, therapy involves gradually reducing the amount of nicotine and/or frequency of the use of NRT until the user is weaned off the addictive chemical altogether. 

It should be noted that while many nicotine users are able to overcome their physiological dependence on nicotine through NRT, such products do not alleviate any behavioral associations that tobacco users develop. For example, some smokers associate pleasure with the act of picking up a cigarette and placing it in their mouth or just feeling the sensation of having a cigarette between the lips. For this reason, behavioral therapy is often recommended alongside or following NRT. 

Master Physiology and Pharmacology Online 

The University of Florida’s renowned College of Medicine provides degree and certificate programs that will help you understand how nicotine and other substances can impact human physiology and broaden your knowledge of body systems overall. Each of these programs is presented entirely online, which allows you to complete a respected education credential on your own schedule, around any professional and personal responsibilities you may have. All programs are available 24/7 from just about any location. 

Master of Science in Medical Sciences with a concentration in Medical Physiology and Pharmacology 

Our online master’s degree in medical physiology and pharmacology program explores the major human body systems and how different drugs impact and are impacted by them. In addition, our program helps you prepare for National Board, MCAT and other key exams that can enable you to advance into a new role in your medical career. You may be able to finish this program in as little as one year. 

What’s more, if you have completed a Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology or a Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology with a specialization in Cardiovascular/Renal Physiology (more information below), you’re already halfway to earning a master’s degree in medical physiology and pharmacology. Our 30-credit degree program accepts up to 15 credits from these UF graduate certificate programs. Consider the advantages of our master’s degree in medical physiology and pharmacology program: 

• Earn your master’s degree in as little as one year. 
• Complete coursework at your own pace. 
• Build clinical knowledge that can help you excel in medical school. 
• Get started without taking the GRE. 
• Use financial aid options, if needed. 
• Add a career-defining education credential to your resume. 

Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology  

Our Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology investigates the fundamentals of the field and explores individual systems of the human body. You can take as many as six courses in this 9- to 14-credit program, though you are only required to complete 9 credits. That means you may be able to complete the program in a single semester. 

Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology with a specialization in Cardiovascular/Renal Physiology 

We also offer a Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology with a specialization in Cardiovascular/Renal Physiology, an advanced-level look at cardiovascular and renal physiology and pathophysiology that you’ll find invaluable in a clinical setting. You can complete this 12-credit program in as little as two semesters. 

Find out how the human body functions and interacts with different drugs and other substances in an entirely online master’s degree or graduate certificate program from the University of Florida. 

Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dopamine 
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-nicotine-e-cigarettes/nicotine-addictive
https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking/nicotine-replacement-therapy.html
https://www.verywellmind.com/nicotine-replacement-therapy-4013217
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160831085320.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5003586/ 
https://www.healthline.com/health/oral-fixation#examples-in-adults