It will have been difficult to miss the rise in disposable vapes over the last few years, nor their ban in June 2025.

How many times have you heard someone say they “only smoke socially” when asked? Regardless of how much it is consumed, nicotine is a powerful drug that can lead to physiological, psychological, and behavioural dependence.

This article focuses on how nicotine dependence develops, how it is often maintained and where people can turn if they would like to cut down or stop.

Written by Nadine Seif, BSc, Assistant Psychologist, Sloane Court Clinic

According to the Office for National Statistics, about 11.9% of UK adults (aged 18 or over) were current cigarette smokers in 2023, amounting to roughly 6.0 million people. In 2011, this was much higher at 20.2% of adults smoking. So, while cigarette smoking has declined over time, it is still a prevalent habit.

While an overall decline in nicotine use is possible, this may be better explained by the increase in vaping, which is far more common now than a few years ago. This may mean that overall nicotine use is around the same or possibly even more. Among adults who vape, over half are former cigarette smokers who only vape, a substantial number smoke cigarettes and vape and some adults have never smoked and only vape according to Action on Smoking and Health.

How nicotine dependence develops:

You don’t need to smoke daily to feel the effects of nicotine. Dr Will Barber, Clinical Psychologist at SCC, explains its addictive nature “as the transition from ‘liking’ to ‘wanting’ substances. Through neuroadaptations, the reward pathways are sensitised to the incentive value of smoking.” This means that smoking (or vaping) triggers the same great feeling as when you take a bite of your favourite sweet treat or complete a challenging task.

“Greater salience is attributed to smoking-related cues, such as a social situation”, Dr Barber continues, “and people form attentional biases.” This means that people start to become more aware of things that remind them of smoking which makes them think about wanting a cigarette or a vape more than before.

With sustained smoking over time, your body to experience a physical dependence and you may start to feel when nicotine levels drop, leading to symptoms like irritability, restlessness, or cravings.

How nicotine dependence is maintained:

Many people associate cigarette smoking or vaping with specific situations; nights out, work breaks, dealing with stress, or bonding with friends. The more situations in which you smoke, the more likely smoking becomes habitual rather than a conscious choice.

You may have heard of Pavlov’s famous dog experiment. After a period of pairing the sound of a bell with his dog’s food, he found that just the sound of the bell alone caused the dog to salivate. If smoking is always paired with certain people or places, eventually just being in those settings can trigger cravings, even if you didn’t plan to smoke. Here, one’s environment becomes a cue for the body to expect a nicotine hit, and it responds by craving it.

There are emotional or social benefits to smoking, which is often why people start in the first place. For many people, it may act as a coping mechanism for social anxiety. People might feel more able to bond with others either by meeting them in smoking areas or feeling more a “part of the group” with the accompaniment of a cigarette or a vape. That social reinforcement can be just as powerful as the nicotine itself and is very common.

This is not to say that nicotine dependence is inevitable for those who deem themselves “social smokers”. Some people do manage to remain occasional smokers without progressing to daily use or becoming dependent on smoking while socialising. However, the risk does increase the more often a behaviour is repeated, and the more contexts nicotine content is consumed.

What if you're worried about your smoking or vaping habit?

If you feel that what you intended to be an occasional indulgence with friends is turning into something less controlled, you may experience the following:

• Feeling uneasy, irritable or unable to concentrate in situations where you can’t smoke

• Becoming fixated with being able to smoke or choosing not to attend events where you can’t

• Finding you can’t resist smoking or vaping in certain situations despite intending to cut down or stop

If this is the case, it might be helpful to:

• Monitor when and why you smoke, how much, and trying to determine whether it feels like a choice or a need

• Make an attainable plan to try to either cut back or quit, with professional support or with the support of friends and family

• Speak to your GP or a mental health professional to discuss your concerns

If you do find that you have become more dependent on nicotine than you had intended, you’re not alone and there are tools to help you decide what’s right for you. Whether you want to stop completely or just take a step back, there is support available to help you meet your individual needs. This may be accessed through our clinicians at SCC or via NHS Stop Smoking Services in your area.