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From:  http://www.pantless.com/~pdxnorml
[The U.S. government's top addiction experts discuss the current
scientific understanding of addiction and admit that marijuana
is the least habit-forming drug.  If only the government were so
candid when the issue was marijuana! Note the chart where the
federal government's top addiction expert, Dr. Jack E. Henningfield
of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Dr. Neal L. Benowitz
of the University of California at San Francisco, rank six substances
based on five criteria for addiction and find marijuana to be the
least habit-forming. More myth-debunking - "According to large
Government surveys of alcohol users, only about 15 percent
are regular, dependent drinkers. Among cocaine users, about 8 percent
become dependent. ... About 90 percent of smokers are persistent
daily users." (Note that "users" means "current users." The numbers
can differ considerably when the proportion of dependent users is
compared to the number of those who have *ever* used particular
substances.)]
Is Nicotine Addictive? It Depends On Whose Criteria You Use
Experts say the definition of addiction is evolving.
By Philip J. Hilts
Special to The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com
_The New York Times_, August 2, 1994, p. C3.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 - When heavily dependent users of cocaine are asked
to compare the urge to smoke cigarettes, about 45 percent say the urge
to smoke is as strong or stronger than that for cocaine.
Among heroin addicts, about 38 percent rank the urge to smoke as equal
to or stronger than the urge to take heroin. Among those addicted to
alcohol, about 50 percent say the urge to smoke is at least as strong
as the urge to drink.
In April, seven chief executives of tobacco companies testified before
a Congressional subcommittee that nicotine was not addictive. Experts
in addiction, while disagreeing with that assessment, say that the
definition of addiction is evolving, and that they can see how such
a statement might be made.
Hearings on Smoking
This week, the Food and Drug Administration is holding hearings to
consider whether cigarettes fit in the array of addictive drugs and
whether the Government should regulate them.
The standard definition of addiction comes from the American
Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization, which list
nine criteria for determining addiction. The two groups, which prefer
the term drug dependence, base their definition on research done since
the 1960's, which has determined that multiple traits must be
considered in determining whether a substance is addictive.
Thus although cigarettes do not offer as intense an effect as drugs
like heroin and cocaine, they rank higher in a number of other factors.
They not only create dependence among users but also elicit a high
degree of tolerance, the need for more and more of a drug to satisfy
the craving. When all the factors are added up, the consensus view
among scientists is that nicotine is strongly addictive.
In smoking, it is not the nicotine or addiction that is most harmful,
but other toxic chemicals produced by burning tobacco, which cause most
of the 400,000 deaths each year that are attributed to smoking.
Dr. Lynn T. Kozlowski, an addiction expert at Pennsylvania State
University, said addiction could generally be defined as "the repeated
use of a psychoactive drug which is difficult to stop." He added that
there might be many explanations for why it was hard to stop, including
withdrawal that was too disturbing, or a high that was too enticing.
A diagnosis of mild dependence on a psychoactive drug is determined
by meeting three of the nine criteria. Five items show moderate
dependence and seven items indicate a strong dependence. (Not all nine
items apply to each drug. For example, time and effort spent acquiring
a drug are a significant feature of heroin addiction, but have no
meaning in nicotine addiction.)
9 Addiction Criteria
These are the criteria:
* Taking the drug more often or in larger amounts than intended.
* Unsuccessful attempts to quit; persistent desire, craving.
* Excessive time spent in drug seeking.
* Feeling intoxicated at inappropriate times, or feeling withdrawal
  symptoms from a drug at such times.
* Giving up other things for it.
* Continued use, despite knowledge of harm to oneself and others.
* Marked tolerance in which the amount needed to satisfy increases
  at first before leveling off.
* Characteristic withdrawal symptoms for particular drugs.
* Taking the drug to relieve or avoid withdrawal.
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