Smoking

It has long been said that cigarettes are addictive in the same way as heroin (sometimes misunderstood as cigarettes being as addictive as heroin, which they aren't) - and now, following up on similar results from animal studies, UM researchers help explain why:

It's the first time smoking has been shown to affect the human brain's natural system of chemicals called endogenous opioids, which are known to play a role in quelling painful sensations, heightening positive emotions, and creating a sense of reward. It's the same system that is stimulated by heroin and morphine.

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"It appears that smokers have an altered opioid flow all the time, when compared with non-smokers, and that smoking a cigarette further alters that flow by 20 to 30 percent in regions of the brain important to emotions and craving," says David J. Scott, a graduate student in the U-M Neuroscience Program who will present the results.