Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026

Creating Dynamic Images of Short-lived Dopamine Fluctuations with lp-ntPET: Dopamine Movies of Cigarette Smoking
Published on: August 6, 2013
'Risking enchantment': how are we to view the smoking person?
Jane Macnaughton1, Susana Carro-Ripalda, Andrew Russell
1Centre for Medical Humanities, School of Medicine and Health, Durham University, Durham, UK.
Abstract:
The idea of the smoking person portrayed in public health has been criticised as being based on too narrow a view of human nature. This article discusses that view: that of a person with a stable core and epiphenomenal 'behaviours' that can be removed by rational persuasion or Pavlovian manipulation, and examines social scientific critiques of it. The social sciences explore the meanings smoking has for individuals and portray human identity as malleable, the result of ongoing interactions with human and non-human others. Aspects of smokers' experience revealed in qualitative research - descriptions of cigarettes as 'companions' or 'friends', deep reliance, sensual pleasure - are sometimes difficult to articulate but can be given full voice in the context of the literary arts. We explore some examples of these sources and argue that a complete picture of smoking meanings is impossible without reference to them. We take a pragmatic approach, following the philosopher William James, who argued that emotional and spiritual experiences contribute to the truth of human existence as much as material explanations, to suggest that this understanding should be part of a critical but supportive engagement with public health research in order to develop more nuanced and humane approaches to smoking cessation.
Related Concept Videos
Stimulants
Cocaine can be administered via snorting, injection, or smoking. It primarily functions by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, resulting in a euphoric high characterized by an intense sensation of happiness and...
Magical Thinking
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Hallucinogens and Psychedelics
Marijuana, derived from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)...
Impression Management Techniques IV: Altercasting

