Addiction is a condition where a person is unable to stop using a certain substance or engaging in a behavior. In the case of cigarette addiction, your brain needs to adjust to the absence of nicotine. Nicotine is the addicting component of cigarettes that makes quitting so difficult. Cigarettes are made to deliver nicotine to your brain quickly. Nicotine causes the release of chemicals in your brain that make you feel good. But did you know why Etta Mae Lopez slapped a police officer?
Etta Mae Lopez, a woman from California waited all day outside the police department and smacked the first cop who came out in the hopes of being sent to jail in order to quit smoking.
The Slap to Stop the Nicotine Addiction
According to the Associated Press, Etta Mae Lopez planned to slap a sheriff’s deputy so she could go to jail, where smoking is prohibited. Lopez, who was 31 at the time, pled no contest to violence on a peace officer, a misdemeanor.
She waited all day for a deputy to come out because she knew if she assaulted a deputy she would go to jail and be inside long enough to quit her smoking habit.
Matt Campoy, Sacramento County Sheriff Deputy
When a person purposefully touches a law enforcement officer in a violent or offensive manner without their consent, this is known as a battery. The battery must usually happen while the officer is doing their job.
According to the Associated Press, Lopez hit Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Campoy in the face as he left the central jail at the end of his shift. Because an officer can be considered to be doing his or her duties, whether on or off duty, his shift ending is unlikely to be an issue.
A wobbler offense is assaulting a police officer. That implies, depending on the injuries, the circumstances of the act, and the defendant’s previous history, the battery can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. If the officer is not hurt, the battery is usually treated as a misdemeanor.
Lopez was charged with a misdemeanor because Campoy was more surprised than anything else. According to the Associated Press, she was sentenced to 63 days in prison, with credit for the three days she served last week.
On a brighter note, Campoy tells the Bee that the experience has given him a new Irish name: Nick O’Derm. (Source: Find Law)
Why is Quitting Cold Turkey so Difficult?
Nicotine addiction is the primary reason people struggle to cut back or quit smoking. Going cold turkey includes quitting all tobacco products and fighting through any withdrawal symptoms that may emerge. However, abruptly discontinuing nicotine use might upset your body’s chemical balance. You could have severe bodily and psychological consequences. Nicotine is a stimulant medication that works by increasing dopamine levels and stimulating the brain’s reward center.
When people use tobacco products for an extended period, they may develop nicotine addiction and a slew of significant health issues. For a few days, some people experience moderate withdrawal symptoms. Others endure weeks of acute cravings and adverse effects.
Withdrawal symptoms can appear anywhere from four to twenty-four hours following your last smoke. Withdrawal usually peaks three days after quitting and then gradually fades over three to four weeks. When you visit places or settings where you used to smoke, it’s not uncommon to experience intense cravings.
While some people are able to successfully manage withdrawal symptoms and urges, others find them unbearable. (Source: Gateway)