Comment on "Draft adds anti-smoking measures" (China Daily, March 27)

In my opinion the draft does too little, but it is better than nothing. However, with China's annual death toll from smoking already 1.2 million annually, the government needs to take more action.

Both children and adults need to hear the truth about nicotine dependency. Nicotine addiction is a mental illness, a disease in which the dopamine pathway is taken hostage by nicotine.

Our dopamine pathway generates wants for food at least two or three times daily. Sadly, it isn't long before a smoker is left believing that their next nicotine fix is as important as eating food. Imagine feeling similar wants for nicotine 10, 15 or 20 times a day. And if they wait too long to quit the urges and cravings for nicotine become more intense. Welcome to the addict's nicotine-normal world.

When quitting there's just one rule and that's lapse equals relapse. Just one puff and up to 50 percent of the dopamine pathway receptors become occupied by nicotine. While most walking away from smoking try to cheat - "just one" - believing they will be able to get away with it, it isn't long before their awakened dependency is begging for more. There's only one way to break the dependency: No nicotine today, and never have another smoke.

John R. Polito, on China Daily website

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(China Daily 04/09/2012 page9)