14.3.1  Immediate effects of tobacco use

The popularity of tobacco mainly stems from its immediate effects which – users state — include feeling happy and relaxed and improved concentration. However, evidence suggests that smokers are actually less able to be happy or relaxed or concentrate than non-smokers when they do not have access to tobacco (see Section 14.3.3). The immediate physical effects of smoking tobacco include increased blood pressure, respiration and heart rate. With regular tobacco use, levels of nicotine accumulate in the body during the day and persist overnight. Thus, daily smokers or chewers are exposed to the effects of nicotine for 24 hours a day. Nicotine stimulates the brain (see Section 14.1). Stimulation is then followed by depression and fatigue, leading the user to seek more nicotine.