4/9/19
Re: O-19-037
Dear Honorable Nashua Board of Alderman,
Due to a prior family commitment for this evening, | am writing to apologize in advance for my
inability to personally attend this important meeting about raising the purchase of tobacco
products to the age of 21 (that would include all tobacco-related items such as cigarettes,
cigars, chewing tobacco, and electronic vaping devices).
The well-known addictive properties of nicotine, which is the main substance in all of these
above-mentioned products, is especially relevant to me as a pediatrician for the past 30 years.
The development of the mature brain does not take place until the age of 25—this fact is well-
known, scientifically supported, and indisputable. As we all know, the brain is the computer
control tower of the body, and is made up of a complex system of nerves (aka neurons) that
send and receive messages to and from all parts of the body to do everything we take for
granted—talking, walking, breathing, movement, digestion, etc.
Without these intricate series of sequentially transmitted messages being passed along from
one “nerve cell” to the next—like the game of “telephone tag” we used to do in elementary
school—we would not survive.
Each nerve cell sits next to each other separated by a small space called a “synapse,” much like
2 neighboring houses on the same street separated by a common driveway between them.
in order to get from one house to the other, the neighbors need to cross the driveway to get to
the other side. Furthermore, in order to actually enter your next-door neighbor’s house (with
permission of course ©), you need to have a specific key that allows you to enter.
This simplistic view of how these friendly neighbors co-exist with each other can now be
applied to how nicotine affects this transfer of messages. Nicotine is similar to an unwanted
intruder in the neighborhood who has somehow gotten hold of the “house key” and is able to
get into that house next door and cause havoc within.
Nicotine acts by attaching itself to the end of these same nerve cells, which in turn triggers the
release of “feel good chemicals” (such as a hormone called dopamine) that leads to the body
thinking that this good feeling is great and wonderful and wants to continue to get more and
more of this stuff, as who doesn’t like to feel good!
This deceptive action of nicotine to stimulate the increased release of “good feeling hormones”
is the beginning of addiction.
