On This Day 28 Years Ago – Nicotine Declared As Addictive As Heroin

On 16th May 1988 C. Everett Koop, surgeon general of the United States, publishes a report declaring nicotine as addictive as either heroin or cocaine.
“Nicotine serves as the tobacco plant’s natural defense against insects and, in its pure form, is more poisonous than either strychnine or arsenic. Its chemical structure is similar to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, giving it easy access to the brain’s reward and pleasure pathways.
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Besides his damning report on nicotine’s addictive characteristics, Koop was instrumental in making warning labels mandatory on cigarette packs.”