Comment by gwern
12 years ago
> "Effects of nicotine on perceptual speed" [1] is behind a paywall, and I can't tell from the abstract whether the results also apply to non-smokers.
I need to apologize a little bit here; I've been checking my article and it seems I inserted the wrong link for that citation. The one I actually wanted is http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02245346 'Smoking and Raven IQ', Stough et al 1994. Also paywalled, but I'm working on getting them. (My university access doesn't cover SpringerLink so I need to ask other people to get them for me.)
> Because in my experience its completely, totally wrong. I could clearly separate 2 phases that I went through when I quit:
Let me point out that your subsequent lines indicate you are talking about your addiction to tobacco, not to nicotine.
> Let me point out that your subsequent lines indicate you are talking about your addiction to tobacco, not to nicotine
Yeah, but only for the second phase of the quit. I went half-way through the exact same first phase in a previous quit, by using patches for 2 weeks first.
What in tobacco is addictive other than nicotine?
Good question. Artile suggests that there is something. MAOI perhaps? Whatever that is...
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor(s). Many antidepressants fall into this category. MAOI's inhibit the enzyme that cleans up several endogenous molecules, like serotonin, and some drugs, like the amphetamines.
MAOIs present in tobacco
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_oxidase_inhibitor