It's a nagging voice in the back of every smoker's head. It prompts all users who try to stop using it “one more time” before abandoning it. With the chemical formula C10H14N2, this alkaloid is better known as nicotine. Being the main chemical found in tobacco, nicotine is the reason why consumers often become addicted to tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, and snuff. It is also because of this addiction which indirectly causes more than 400,000 deaths per year in the United States while costing the health sector nearly 200 billion dollars; making it the most preventable cause of death (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2010). The question then remains: what can be done to remedy this problem? Although there are currently public health policies designed to combat tobacco use, for example levying taxes on tobacco products has been effective in deterring new smokers, it is less effective among existing tobacco users (CDC 2009). Therefore, a different approach is needed in order to build a policy that would apply broadly to everyone; and to do this, we must examine the biological and social factors involved in nicotine addiction. Acting as a natural herbicide for the tobacco plant, nicotine belongs to a class of natural nitrogen compounds called alkaloids. The route of administration of nicotine is carried out in various ways, including smoking, insufflation, chewing, transdermal and vaporization. In addition, depending on the route of administration, duration and dosage, the amount of nicotine present in the body may vary. For example: Although smoking delivers nicotine to the brain in ten seconds compared to three minutes when chewing, the amount of nicotine delivered... middle of paper ... smoking if their peers smoked. Those with the AA genotype, which has a low tendency to smoke, would be much less likely to smoke, even if their peers smoke (Johnson et al. 2010). Although the role of genetics appears to play a greater role in determining the potential for nicotine addiction, the social aspect should not be completely neglected either. In order to develop an effective public health policy, or any other policy, all factors must be taken into consideration to achieve the best effect. To combat and prevent nicotine addiction, an approach based on genetic testing and a range of prevention and intervention programs are needed to prevent the unnecessary deaths of 430,000 people each year (CDC 2010). With the support of everyone working toward the same goal, we can give ourselves a brighter, deeper breath of fresh air..