Tobacco use disorder in patients with other mental disorders: a dual disorder perspective from clinical neuroscience.

Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of disability and preventable deaths worldwide, but it should be differentiated from tobacco use disorder, which is, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a mental disorder. The rapid delivery of nicotine to the brain activates acetylcholine receptors and stimulates the release of dopamine, both systems implicated in other mental disorders. Rates of tobacco use disorder are much higher among people suffering from other mental disorders and these patients find it more difficult to quit.