Nicotine temporarily increases the heart rate by two to three beats a minute and increases blood pressure in the short term because it constricts blood vessels.

This neurotransmitter produces a "natural high" within 7 to 10 seconds of inhaling. Nicotine is a central nervous system stimulant and also decreases the sensation of pain.

Nicotine changes nerve signals that control physical actions, behavioral control and memory. That's why a certain remembered scene or a smell can trigger a craving for cigarettes.

Stress is also one of the main reasons given for relapsing when trying to quit. Although we all have stress in our lives, smokers use nicotine to help them cope with stress. When trying to quit, a smoker needs to find alternative ways of coping with stress.

The water in a hookah filters out only a very small amount of nicotine. In fact, smoking a hookah can often give a person more nicotine. This is because a hookah user may inhale a larger amount of smoke in a single session, and spend a longer period of time smoking.

Your health care provider may be able to prescribe a medicine that can help you quit using nicotine. There are also over-the-counter medicines that work well to help people quit smoking.

Tobacco dip and snuff actually have more nicotine than cigarettes. Holding dip in your mouth for 30 minutes can give you as much nicotine as smoking three cigarettes. Two cans of snuff have as much nicotine as 10-1/2 packs of cigarettes.

Studies have shown that working with others to help you quit works better than trying to quit on your own. People who talk with a health care provider in person or on the phone, or go to support groups have better success rates.