TOBACCO SMOKING AND NICOTINE NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY - SOME FUTURE-RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

Although nicotine is acknowledged as the major pharmacologically activ e chemical in tobacco that accounts for its continued use, there is a need for much further research. It is necessary to systematically comp are the complex pharmacological actions of pure nicotine with those of tobacco, using different routes of administration and, therefore, rat es of absorption. Tobacco smoking produces several important behaviora l and central nervous system effects. More research is needed to deter mine the role of nicotine versus the many of her substances present in tobacco smoke. Although nicotine is the primary pharmacological agent in tobacco that maintains its use, other chemicals and their biologic al mechanisms involved in tobacco smoking need to be studied further. (C) 1998 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Published by Els evier Science Inc.