Smoking v. nicotine
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* Stuart H. Kreisman

The distinction between smoking, which is a habit, and nicotine addiction often becomes blurred in the article by Schultz and colleagues1 and in the responses to it. That health professionals avoid this trap of convenience is important. Viewing smoking as addictive, which most of the population superficially does, plays directly into the hands of smokers’ rights advocates and their claims that smoking bans are discriminatory. Remembering that smoking is a habit and that nicotine is addictive reminds us that there are many other forms in which nicotine can be delivered — even if less gratifying — without exposing others. Smokers can choose where and how to get their hit of nicotine — the rest of us can’t choose where to breathe.

## Reference

1.  Schultz ASH, Finegan B, Nykiforuk CIJ, et al. A qualitative investigation of smoke-free policies on hospital property. CMAJ 2011;183:E1334–44.
    
    [Abstract/FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czoxMjoiMTgzLzE4L0UxMzM0IjtzOjQ6ImF0b20iO3M6MjI6Ii9jbWFqLzE4NC8yLzIxNC4xLmF0b20iO31zOjg6ImZyYWdtZW50IjtzOjA6IiI7fQ==)