Nicotine Delivery Kinetics and Abuse Liability

Introduction:
This text is a review of the importance of the drug delivery system as a parameter of abuse liability, specifically focusing on nicotine and tobacco products. The authors discuss differences in the pattern of nicotine intake as a function of the form of delivery and its influence on the ability of nicotine and tobacco products to produce dependence. They emphasize the importance of kinetics in the abuse liability of nicotine and tobacco products.

Key Points:

* Nicotine meets all criteria of a highly addictive drug, and the nicotine delivery system itself is an important determinant of its toxic and addictive effects.
* Altering the form of nicotine dosing may allow for selective therapeutic action in developing safer and less addictive nicotine replacement therapies.
* Initial tobacco use often escalates to compulsive use accompanied by tolerance and physical dependence, but this is not usually observed with nicotine replacement therapies.
* Nicotine polacrilex and transdermal systems deliver nicotine more slowly and at lower dose levels than tobacco-based forms.
* Human data suggests that the abuse liability of nicotine polacrilex and transdermal systems is substantially lower than that of the tobacco-based nicotine delivery systems.
* The drug dosage form can be systematically manipulated and evaluated, making further research in developing alternative nicotine delivery forms promising in the treatment of tobacco dependence.
* Psychological research methods can play an important part in the evaluation of alternative nicotine delivery forms.

Main Message:
The text highlights the importance of the drug delivery system in the abuse liability of nicotine and tobacco products. The authors suggest that altering the form of nicotine dosing can lead to safer and less addictive nicotine replacement therapies. They emphasize the need for further research in developing alternative nicotine delivery forms, which can be systematically manipulated and evaluated. Psychological research methods can play a crucial role in the evaluation of these alternatives. Overall, the text underscores the potential of developing safer nicotine delivery forms as a promising approach in the treatment of tobacco dependence.

Henningfield, Jack E, and Robert M Keenan. “Nicotine Delivery Kinetics and Abuse Liability,” 1993.