title: If the data contradict the theory, throw out the data: Nicotine addiction in the 2010 report of the Surgeon General.
abstract: The reports of US Surgeon General on smoking are considered the authoritative statement on the scientific state of the art in this field. The previous report on nicotine addiction published in 1988 is one of the most cited references in scientific articles on smoking and often the only citation provided for specific statements of facts regarding nicotine addiction. In this commentary we review the chapter on nicotine addiction presented in the recent report of the Surgeon General. We show that the nicotine addiction model presented in this chapter, which closely resembles its 22 years old predecessor, could only be sustained by systematically ignoring all contradictory evidence. As a result, the present SG's chapter on nicotine addiction, which purportedly "documents how nicotine compares with heroin and cocaine in its hold on users and its effects on the brain," is remarkably biased and misleading.
authors: Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel. ruvidar@freud.tau.ac.il.
authors: Hanan
authors: H
authors: Frenk
authors: Reuven
authors: R
authors: Dar
references: Tob Control. 2002 Sep;11(3):228-35
references: 12198274
references: N Engl J Med. 1994 Mar 24;330(12):811-5
references: 8114833
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1995 Feb;50(2):233-9
references: 7740062
references: Lancet. 1992 Aug 8;340(8815):324-9
references: 1353803
references: Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 1985 Sep;5(3):314-26
references: 4059592
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1993;112(2-3):253-8
references: 7871028
references: Am J Psychiatry. 2008 Mar;165(3):306-7
references: 18316427
references: Health Psychol. 2002 Jul;21(4):332-9
references: 12090675
references: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008 Jul;33(8):2042-3; author reply 2044
references: 18548120
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1999 Feb;142(2):158-64
references: 10102768
references: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008 Mar;33(4):715-20
references: 17534380
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1983 Nov;19(5):887-90
references: 6647522
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1997 May-Jun;57(1-2):159-65
references: 9164567
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2005 Dec;183(3):294-9
references: 16237578
references: J Abnorm Psychol. 2010 Feb;119(1):248-53
references: 20141262
references: Behav Pharmacol. 2001 Feb;12(1):35-44
references: 11270510
references: Br Med J. 1976 Jun 12;1(6023):1430-3
references: 953530
references: Nature. 2011 Mar 31;471(7340):597-601
references: 21278726
references: Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2007 Jan;13(1):108-15
references: 17206646
references: Nicotine Tob Res. 2005 Jun;7(3):317-33
references: 16085500
references: Nicotine Tob Res. 2007 Mar;9(3):315-27
references: 17365764
references: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2006 Dec;31(12):2728-38
references: 16598192
references: Br J Addict. 1991 May;86(5):605-9
references: 1859927
references: Eur J Pharmacol. 2000 Aug 25;402(3):231-40
references: 10958889
references: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2007 Feb;15(1):93-101
references: 17295588
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2004 Apr;173(1-2):18-26
references: 15004737
references: Arch Intern Med. 1991 Apr;151(4):749-52
references: 2012458
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2004 Sep;175(2):134-42
references: 14997277
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1999 Jan;62(1):165-72
references: 9972860
references: Pediatrics. 2007 Oct;120(4):e974-83
references: 17908753
references: Br Med J. 1980 Apr 5;280(6219):972-6
references: 7417765
references: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2001 Aug;9(3):243-50
references: 11534534
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1997 Mar;130(1):28-40
references: 9089846
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2001 Feb;68(2):187-97
references: 11267622
references: Br J Soc Clin Psychol. 1977 Nov;16(4):329-36
references: 588888
references: Nicotine Tob Res. 1999 Dec;1(4):357-64
references: 11072433
references: Nicotine Tob Res. 2003 Dec;5(6):869-75
references: 14668070
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1998 Mar;136(1):83-90
references: 9537686
references: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009 Sep 1;104(1-2):23-33
references: 19446968
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2010 May;210(1):1-12
references: 20358364
references: Nicotine Tob Res. 2008 Dec;10(12):1811-2; author reply 1813-4
references: 18989827
references: Biol Psychiatry. 2010 Apr 15;67(8):707-14
references: 20132927
references: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2005 Apr;73(2):350-3
references: 15796644
references: J Abnorm Psychol. 2002 Feb;111(1):88-97
references: 11866182
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1997 Jun;131(4):361-70
references: 9226738
references: Nicotine Tob Res. 2004 Aug;6(4):599-614
references: 15370156
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1992;108(4):460-5
references: 1410160
references: Chest. 1987 Dec;92(6):1005-8
references: 3677804
references: Pain. 1996 Sep;67(1):79-88
references: 8895234
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2003 Jan;165(2):172-80
references: 12417964
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1989;99(4):473-8
references: 2594913
references: Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1982 Aug 28-Sep 4;285(6342):600-3
references: 6819031
references: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2008 Apr 1;94(1-3):158-64
references: 18164146
references: Addict Behav. 1984;9(2):211-5
references: 6741683
references: J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1990 Mar;252(3):1175-83
references: 2319467
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Sep;76(2):307-13
references: 14592683
references: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2004 May;12(2):91-101
references: 15122953
references: J Behav Med. 1991 Dec;14(6):627-36
references: 1791625
references: Am J Prev Med. 2003 Oct;25(3):219-25
references: 14507528
references: Addict Behav. 1990;15(1):69-72
references: 2316413
references: Addiction. 1994 Nov;89(11):1461-70
references: 7841857
references: J Soc Psychol. 1994 Jun;134(3):355-61
references: 8057636
references: J Chronic Dis. 1983;36(6):439-49
references: 6863468
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2007 Apr;191(2):203-10
references: 17235611
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009 Dec;207(2):191-200
references: 19756529
references: Science. 1981 Oct 30;214(4520):573-5
references: 7291998
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1995 May;119(2):171-8
references: 7659764
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1983 Dec;19(6):1021-6
references: 6657720
references: J Behav Med. 1985 Dec;8(4):321-41
references: 4093971
references: J Behav Med. 1986 Apr;9(2):191-202
references: 3712429
references: Int J Addict. 1995 Feb;30(3):275-89
references: 7790128
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2003 Aug;169(1):68-76
references: 12774186
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2005 Aug;81(4):821-9
references: 15996724
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1997 Feb;56(2):181-7
references: 9050073
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1996 Oct;55(2):257-63
references: 8951962
references: Behav Pharmacol. 2010 Mar;21(2):144-52
references: 20168213
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1983 Dec;19(6):989-92
references: 6657732
references: J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2001 Mar;296(3):849-56
references: 11181916
references: Harm Reduct J. 2010 Nov 10;7:28
references: 21067587
references: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2009 Jan;34(2):282-9
references: 18563061
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1996 Oct;127(4):328-36
references: 8923568