As for brain imaging studies of chronic tobacco/nicotine dependence, cigarette smokers experience craving for cigarettes (urge to smoke) within minutes after the last cigarette, and the intensity of craving rises over the next 3–6 h (Jarvik et al. 2000; Schuh and Stitzer 1995). Cigarette-related cues have been shown to reliably enhance craving during this period, compared to neutral cues (Carter and Tiffany 1999).
