Chapter 20 Nicotine and Addiction

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Nicotine and Addiction: Historical

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At the end of the nineteenth century, nicotine was isolated and its toxicity confirmed; it

was in general use as an insecticide until the production of DDT until the early 1940's.

Tobacco in History, pp. 121-122

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"Chewing tobacco, snuff, cigars, and pipes facilitate nicotine delivery through the oral

or nasal mucosa because of the alkaline nature of the products. Cigarettes, a modern

invention, use mostly flue-cured and sugared burley tobaccos, which provide a mildly

acidic smoke that does not allow ready absorption of nicotine unless the smoke is

inhaled into the lungs, where the absorption is quite efficient. Thus, cigarette users

smoke cigarettes in a manner that is not only highly dependence producing but also

highly toxic to the respiratory system. "Several technologies converged between the

1800's and 1913 to make the modern cigarette possible. New tobacco blends and

curing processes were developed which produced a tobacco product that, when

burned, produced a smoke that could be inhaled (that indeed had to be inhaled for

nicotine absorption to occur). Machinery for cheaply manufacturing cigarettes was

perfected; the safety match was invented; an efficient transportation system was

developed, which allowed distribution of the product throughout the United States; and

mass media advertising techniques were used to promote the purchase of Camel

brand cigarettes.

Epidemiologic Reviews 17:48-49, 1995

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Sir Ernest Shackleton in his book South (p. 221) describes the rescue of his

comrades from the Endurance Antarctic expedition on Elephant Island in 1916. “As I

drew close to the rock I flung packets of cigarettes ashore; they fell on them like hungry

tigers, for well I know that for months tobacco was dreamed of and talked of.” Frank

Wild, the leader of the shore party, gave this account (p. 242): “Before he could land,

he threw ashore handfuls of

cigarettes…and these the smokers, who for two months had been trying to find solace

in such substitutes as seaweed…and sennegras, grasped greedily.”

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Thursday, July 06, 2000

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