Richard J. DeGrandpre

Viewing the habit of smoking as a mere result of physical addiction to nicotine is simplistic and misleading, argues Richard J. DeGrandpre in the following viewpoint. Some smokers do not become addicted at all, while others develop a dependence because of psychological or social reasons. He asserts that nicotine replacement therapy has had limited success in helping people to stop smoking and that equating cigarette smoking with a chemical habit may actually impede people's efforts to quit. DeGrandpre, a scholar of drugs and culture and coeditor of Drug Policy and Human Nature, calls for a fuller understanding of the nature of addiction in order to improve anti-smoking policies.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does DeGrandpre define the “classical model” of addiction?
2. What has been...