Nicotine facts & myths
According to the NHS, Nicotine is an addictive substance but it isn't harmful. Learn more facts and myths about Nicotine on this page.
Get the facts
By educating ourselves and the public about Nicotine as a substance, we can work towards a smoke-free future and greatly improve public health.
Smoking kills, not nicotine
A common misconception surrounding Nicotine is that it is harmful. In reality, smoking cigarettes (combustible tobacco) remains the most harmful way for a person to consume Nicotine. Numerous studies have proven that nicotine is addictive but does not cause cancer, cardiovascular, gum or respiratory disease [1]. Moreover, the NHS states that Nicotine itself isn't harmful [2].
Figure 2: The weighted harm of combustible tobacco products compared to non-combustible nicotine alternatives, placed along the “harm minimization continuum”. Source: Abrams DB, Glasser AM, Pearson JL, Villanti AC, Collins LK, Niaura RS. Harm Minimization and Tobacco Control: Reframing Societal Views of Nicotine Use to Rapidly Save Lives. Annu Rev Public Health. 2018 Apr 1;39(1):193–213
Switching to a reduced risk-alternative to smoking is beneficial to your health
It's never too late to quit smoking. If you're looking to quit smoking but are not ready to quit nicotine, a number of reduced harm alternatives (nicotine pouches, snus, vapes) exist and pose significantly lower health risks. In addition to improving your own health, switching to a reduced harm alternative also eliminates secondhand smoke, protecting those you love as well as the general public.
Nicotine is a potent nootropic
A great number of consumers enjoy using nicotine as a cognitive enhancing substance, and the effects of nicotine on memory and cognition are well-documented. According to research, Nicotine improves attention in a wide variety of tasks in healthy volunteers, and also improves immediate and longer term memory in healthy volunteers [3].
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