The use of tobacco products is common in America, yet tobacco carries the risk of misuse, abuse and addiction. Addiction is a physical dependence, or when a persons behavior is taken over by the nicotine to the point that it interferes with health or well-being.

In America, it is estimated that addiction to nicotine and alcohol directly or indirectly accounts for one-third of all hospital admissions and one-quarter of all deaths. Although tobacco is legal to buy, people find it hard to believe that tobacco is habit forming like other illicit drugs. Children of tobacco abusers are three times more likely than other children to develop addictions and a variety of other problem behaviors later in life.

Nicotine abuse leads to the greatest number of problems of any drug in use in the world today. Nicotine is called the gateway drug of choice that most addicts started off...