Rethinking Nicotine: Separating Fact from Fiction

When most people think about smoking, they often blame nicotine for all the health problems associated with it. But what if the danger lies elsewhere? Let’s dive into the facts and clear up some common misconceptions about nicotine.

Understanding Nicotine

Nicotine is a chemical naturally found in the nightshade family of plants such as tomatoes, eggplants, and tobacco plants. It is a stimulant and it’s also the substance that makes tobacco products addictive by triggering the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and endorphins. But this alone doesn’t make it the villain in the story. To set the record straight: nicotine does not cause cancer and smoking-related diseases.

In fact, nicotine is known to have cognitive benefits. It is known to improve memory and attention, which is why researchers are exploring its potential to aid conditions like schizophrenia¹, delay dementia², and slow the progress of Parkinson’s disease³. Additionally, nicotine is a key element in Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs), an FDA-approved method to help people quit smoking.

It’s not without risk, however, on its own, nicotine’s dangers are relatively limited. It can increase heart rate and blood pressure, but these effects are minor compared to the damage caused by inhaling smoke from burning tobacco.

1. Medical News Today. (n.d.). Nicotine may help treat schizophrenia, study finds. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/nicotine-may-help-treat-schizophrenia

2. Healthline. (n.d.). Nicotine and Alzheimer’s: Understanding Dementia Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/nicotine-and-alzheimers

3. Quik, M. (2012). Nicotine as a potential neuroprotective agent for Parkinson’s disease. Movement Disorders. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mds.24948

The Real Issue: Burning

Nicotine is often blamed for the health problems associated with smoking, but the real danger lies in the burning of tobacco. When tobacco burns, it releases harmful chemicals like tar, carbon monoxide, and carcinogens. These substances are that wreak havoc on our bodies and can lead to diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory issues.

This is why it is best to quit smoking completely. It ends your exposure to these toxins and lowers your risk of disease. Nicotine replacement therapies or quit aids nicotine patches, gums and lozenges can help.

But not everyone quits. Can you change to something less harmful than smoking cigarettes?

The Role of Smoke-free Alternatives

Not everyone who smokes quits, in the Philippines 4% of smokers quit each year, and this doesn’t account for others who take up the habit. Which is why it is important to find less harmful forms of nicotine products.

Smoke-free alternatives deliver nicotine without the harmful effects of burning tobacco. Products like heated tobacco, e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches are considered less harmful because they eliminate or reduce most of the dangerous byproducts of burning.

Yes, they contain nicotine, but remember, nicotine isn’t the issue – smoke is, and these products don’t produce smoke.

A New Way Forward—KAYA ng smokers magbago!

Nicotine is not the villain it’s often made out to be and the real danger lies in the smoke produced by burning tobacco. Although nicotine is addictive, it’s about time that we separate it from the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke if we want to give smokers who don’t quit less harmful options.