Is it the nicotine? Australian smokers’ accounts of nicotine addiction

Abstract

Since the 1980s, it has been widely accepted that nicotine is an addictive drug. While discussions of smoking inevitably lead smokers to reflect on their addiction, smokers’ perceptions of nicotine addiction specifically are rarely studied. Smokers’ understandings of nicotine addiction are increasingly relevant in light of the emergence of electronic cigarettes and other cessation aids containing nicotine, and their potential use as long-term replacements for cigarettes. This article is based on a thematic discourse analysis of interviews with 29 smokers from a large metropolitan city in Australia. We explore how smokers negotiate the concept of nicotine addiction in relation to themselves and other smokers, and how this influences their views of smoking cessation methods. Starting with the image of a nicotine addict, we show how participants accept or distance themselves from this image by re-framing the source of their addiction as habit-addicted, rather than nicotine-addicted. We also discuss the function of ‘habit talk’ as a way of contextualising their addiction, and report on how notions of addiction shape participants' views of cessation methods. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for future research and for health professionals working with smokers.