What is nicotine?

Nicotine is a naturally occurring organic compound. Tobacco plants contain the highest levels of naturally occurring nicotine, but it can also be found at much lower levels in other natural sources, such as potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. Nicotine can also be produced in a laboratory, which is commonly known as synthetic nicotine.

It is a chiral molecule with two stereoisomers that have an asymmetrical form that cannot be superimposed on its mirror image, S-nicotine and R-nicotine. In tobacco, it is comprised almost entirely of S-nicotine (>99%), while synthetic nicotine is comprised of both S-nicotine and R-nicotine.¹

A scientific view on the nicotine molecule

Nicotine is the major alkaloid commercially derived from tobacco leaves and is the primary substance in tobacco responsible for the addictive properties of tobacco products.

Whilst generally considered addictive and not risk-free, it has been recognised by the World Health Organization² and other national health authorities³ that nicotine itself does not directly cause cancer. The primary cause of smoking-related disease is exposure by inhalation to the many chemicals, as many as 7,000, created by the burning of tobacco.

Once nicotine has entered the bloodstream, it is distributed throughout the body to the tissue and organs, including the brain. Nicotine exerts its effects by binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor’s (nAChR’s), a family of ligand gated ion channels that are widely expressed and present throughout the body’s central and peripheral nervous system. Nicotine’s interaction with nAChRs in the brain causes the release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid), glutamate and noradrenaline, which contribute to the psychopharmacological effects of nicotine.

The role of nicotine in Tobacco Harm Reduction

Given the extensive use of nicotine via tobacco products globally, with more than 1 billion smokers worldwide⁴, there is already a wealth of evidence about nicotine’s effects when delivered by smoking a cigarette.

An array of scientific studies has contributed to the available evidence regarding nicotine’s effects, which helps to inform the important role it can play in Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR), a public health strategy to minimise the projected negative public health impact of smoking. Reduced Risk Products,^*† such as vaping products, heated products and nicotine pouches, provide a source of nicotine for adult smokers seeking an alternative to continuing to smoke cigarettes.