After a shot of this, smokers may as well blow the smoke straight out again:

SCIENTISTS have developed an anti-nicotine vaccine that could take the pleasure out of smoking a cigarette. ..A single dose of the vaccine was able to protect mice against nicotine addiction for life.

Further tests are needed before starting human trials, which would take several years, but Professor Ronald Crystal of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York said the early signs are good.

“We are very hopeful that this kind of vaccine strategy can finally help the millions of smokers who have tried to stop, exhausting all the methods on the market today, but find their nicotine addiction to be strong enough to overcome these current approaches,” Prof Cornell said.

The new vaccine contains a harmless virus that has been engineered to carry the genetic information to make anti-nicotine antibodies. The virus selectively infects liver cells, which then start to make a steady stream of the antibodies.

The antibodies hunt down any nicotine molecules in the bloodstream, neutralising them before they reached the brain, preventing a smoker from getting a nicotine hit.

Full Report

Well that’s not fair. Big pharma gets the profits instead of the tobacco companies. And who thinks of the innocent small retailers who rely on cigarette sales to keep their business alive?

sounds like a good idea

the cigarette companies will go out of business overnight in richer countries

the problem is that addictive personalities will move on to other drugs

I once read somwhere that one of the main addictions involved with cigarette smoking is to do with the inhalation of cellulose fibres from the filters used in ‘tailor made ciggies’. Apparently the cellulose fibres are just a little too big to be able pass into the bloodstream from the lungs and so they just sit there causing irritation until you cough them up. The brain produces endorphines to counter the feeling of irritation and the smoker then becomes dependant on the increased endorphine levels. The point of the article was that this addiction is actually stronger than the need for nicotine.

fsm said:

I once read somwhere that one of the main addictions involved with cigarette smoking is to do with the inhalation of cellulose fibres from the filters used in ‘tailor made ciggies’. Apparently the cellulose fibres are just a little too big to be able pass into the bloodstream from the lungs and so they just sit there causing irritation until you cough them up. The brain produces endorphines to counter the feeling of irritation and the smoker then becomes dependant on the increased endorphine levels. The point of the article was that this addiction is actually stronger than the need for nicotine.

Sawmillers often have a hacking cough due to inhalation of fine sawdust. I wonder if it is addictive?

fsm said:

I once read somwhere that one of the main addictions involved with cigarette smoking is to do with the inhalation of cellulose fibres from the filters used in ‘tailor made ciggies’.

I think you’ll find those fibres are glass and if you inhaled them with any regularity you would become very ill very quickly.

>I once read somwhere that one of the main addictions involved with cigarette smoking is to do with the inhalation of cellulose fibres from the filters used in ‘tailor made ciggies’.

People who smoke rollies and pipes won’t have this affliction and yet still seem to get through quite a bit of the evil weed.

sibeen said:

People who smoke rollies and pipes won’t have this affliction and yet still seem to get through quite a bit of the evil weed.

I’m not suggesting that nicotine is not addictive, but the filters may be playing a part in things.

My apologies – I just looked it up and found they are indeed made from a plastic based on cellulose.