Here's my understanding. Nicotine acts on nicotinic cholinergic receptors, which are found in the central nervous system, autonomic ganglia, the neuromuscular junction, as well as in several non-neuronal tissues. When nicotine acts on these receptors, it triggers the release of neurotransmitters that produce psychoactive effects that are rewarding. With repeated exposure, tolerance develops to many of the effects of nicotine, thereby reducing its primary reinforcing effects and inducing physical dependence (i.e., withdrawal symptoms in the absence of nicotine). Other factors that influence smoking behavior include age, sex, genetics, mental illness, and substance abuse.
Now, smoking behavior is influenced (apart from pharmacologic feedback) by environmental factors such as smoking cues, friends who smoke, stress, and product advertising. Therefore, the first step to quitting or changing one's behavior is by altering the environment you are that's leading to the compulsion. If you ask most long-term smokers, they'll tell you they hate the smell of cigarette smoke and the impact it has made to their health. Just as non-smokers find the smell unpleasant, as do smokers, so that's not enough to get them to stop - it goes beyond this feeling of disgust unfortunately.
Remember that nicotine induces pleasure and reduces stress and anxiety. Thus, smoking a cigarette it literally the happiest moment for an addict who is addicted to nicotine. In fact, smoking improves concentration, reaction time, and performance of certain tasks. Not smoking when your body is calling for it causes the emergence of withdrawal symptoms: irritability, depressed mood, restlessness, and anxiety. The intensity of these mood disturbances is similar to that found in
psychiatric outpatients.
Hope it helps!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2928221/
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