Smoking and alcohol

The nicotine which is contained in tobacco, and alcohol are strong psychoactive agents. Surfactant (psychoactive agents) – any substances and their mixes, both a natural, and artificial origin influencing functioning of the central nervous system owing to what there are changes of a mental condition of the person. Smoking and alcohol along with excess weight are the main reasons for predictable death.

From the chemical and biological point of view nicotine is neurotropic poison, being toxic for nervous cells. Owing to the specifics nervous cells are susceptible to influence of any sort of harmful substances. In classification surfactant nicotine concerns to tertiary group, being on the periphery of depressants and the stimulating substances. Alcohol in the same classification concerns to group of depressants.

Stimulating surfactant – psychotropic substances which activate activity of the person mental and physical (to a lesser extent).

Depressants – any substances making the oppressing impact on TsNS or the oppressing certain aspects of its activity.

The smoking and alcohol combined at the same time supplement each other in the impact on TsNS, strengthening effect.

The mechanism of impact of smoking and alcohol on a human body

Alcohol comes from a stomach to blood within the first two minutes. Blood carries it on all to all organism. Brain cells, first of all big cerebral hemispheres are exposed to the greatest influence. After the first dose of alcohol the brain gives immediate reaction in the form of the deterioration in conditioned-reflex activity which is slowed down formation of difficult movements, lacks of coordination there is a change of a ratio of processes of excitement and braking of TsNS.

Getting to frontal lobes of a cerebral cortex, alcohol liberates emotions of the person that is shown in the form of unjustified joy, causeless laughter, ease of judgments. The amplifying excitement after alcohol intake is followed by weakening of processes of braking in bark of big cerebral hemispheres owing to what control over work of some departments of a brain stops. Bashfulness and restraint is lost. Each next portion of alcohol promotes the increasing paralyzing of the highest nerve centers. Disturbance of activity of a nervous system is observed at any alcohol intake: one-time, incidental, systematic.

Small dose of nicotine which the person receives, smoking one cigarette, promotes short-term increase in excitability of a cerebral cortex then oppression of activity of nervous cells follows. When smoking excitement quickly is replaced by oppression.

Alcohol and tobacco, namely the nicotine which is contained in it make impact on the same nerve centers that strengthens the "exciting" effect. So, the received nicotine dose with the smoked cigarette strengthens effect of intoxication (a lack of coordination of movements, loss of a possibility of full-fledged assessment of a situation).

Smoking and alcohol: main signs of dependence

Smoking and alcohol develop the dependence demanding treatment at the person. Alcohol addiction or alcoholism is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Mental and somatic disorders;
• Regular use of alcoholic and low alcohol beverages;
• Abstinence syndrome in case of the termination of reception of alcoholic drinks;
• Disturbance of brain activity;
• Mental and physical dependence on alcohol.

Nicotine addiction – a type of the drug addiction shown in regular smoking of the nicotinocontaining mixes (generally tobacco), and also in mental and behavioural disorders of the person. The main symptoms of nicotine addiction are:

• Insuperable desire (thirst) for smoking;
• Inability to control the acts;
• Irritability, intolerance, development of stressful states;
• Abstinence syndrome at a long break in the use or cancellation of the nicotinocontaining substances;
• Continuation of the use of the nicotinocontaining substances even at awareness of their negative impact on a human body.

Now the set of techniques of treatment of dependences on alcohol and tobacco practices.

Alcohol and tobacco: whether are so harmful?

Impact of smoking and alcohol on a human body in general and on TsNS in particular is an object of research of psychologists, narcologists, psychiatrists, therapists, pulmonologists and many other specialists. All know of harm of smoking and alcohol also to everyone. Alcoholism and nicotine addiction take the leading positions among the mortality reasons. Nevertheless, alcohol and tobacco (nicotine) are the resolved types surfactant, available to any person who reached an age of majority.

Numerous researches showed that among moderately drinking people (consuming on average 8-12g pure alcohol in day) death rate is 18% lower, than among the teetotal or suffering from alcohol addiction people.

Recent researches also showed that regular consumption of the nicotine stimulating certain sites of a cerebral cortex promotes decrease in risk of development of a number of mental diseases (among which there is Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease).

Nevertheless, the facts of positive impact of smoking and alcohol found by scientists on a human body are not the basis for uncontrolled alcohol intake and tobacco.