The stagesof tobacco addiction progress from none through wanting, craving and needing and there is a progressive increase in "addictive cognition" across the stages. This illustrates that there are degrees of tobacco adiction that can vary from mild and interruptable desire to smoke at the lowest level to an unremitting compelling compulsion to smoke at the highest level.
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Stages of Tobacco Addiction
Desire to Smoke Progresses through Stages to Full Addiction.422 male and female smokers age (18-78) provided information on the internet. Percent of subjects for the 4 stages were 17%, 26%, 17%, and 40% respectively and cigarettes per day were: 2, 4, 9, and 13 respectively. Duration of tobacco use and 12 other measures of tobacco addiction also increased over the 4 stages.(Constructed from data in D. Franza, J.D. et al. Psychopharmacology, 219: 815 – 822, 2012) ©2012 NBEP
