When women smoke, dopamine, the reward and pleasure chemical is released rapidly into the part of the brain associated with habit formation.
We know that nicotine causes 200% more dopamine to be released when you smoke. But this “double whammy” of delivering so much dopamine to the habit forming center of the brain makes it difficult for women to quit.
Women need a very different approach to reduce their tobacco use than men. They may smoke because of habit and not a true addiction. An effective program may focus on their smoking behavior.
Understand the “why” behind your smoking before you decide “what” to do about it.
Claudia
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