.Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - According to new research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, nicotine dependence in the U.S. has hit a 15-year high.

It appears that more people than ever in the U.S. are becoming severely dependent on nicotine.

Researchers found that from 1989 to 2006, there was an increase in nicotine dependence severity by 12%.

They also found that those classified as highly nicotine dependent increased by a whopping 32%.

The leader of the research, David Sachs, explained that there are ways to tell if someone is highly addicted to nioctine.

Some of the factors include certain tests to see how quickly they go for a cigarette, among other things.

75% of those who currently are trying to get treatment for tobacco dependence are considered to be highly dependent on nicotine.