Nicotine... it's controversial, it has a bad reputation, and millions of people are using it regularly. Do a web search and it's hard to find a mention of nicotine as a stand-alone element...it's always mentioned as a byproduct of smoking. And it continues to be vilified because of its relationship with tobacco. withdrawal symptoms rated as mild in comparison with other 'truly' addictive drugs and compared with caffeine, source: http://student.biology.arizona.edu/honors96/group7/drugs.htm Poison Control Center statistics: https://aapcc.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/annual_reports/2011_NPDS_Annual_Report_-_Final.pdf The National Institute for Health side effect listing: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007438.htm ------- (from http://science.howstuffworks.com/nicotine.htm) "Tobacco is a member of the deadly nightshade (or belladonna) family of flowering plants, a family that also includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and capiscum pepper plants -- a family rich in alkaloids. About 5 percent (by weight) of the tobacco plant is nicotine (C10H14N2), a naturally occurring liquid alkaloid. An alkaloid is an organic compound made out of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sometimes oxygen, and it can have potent effects on the human body. The morning cup of coffee you enjoy, for instance, contains another type of alkaloid: caffeine. Cigarettes typically contain about 10 milligrams of nicotine (sometimes up to 20 milligrams, depending on the brand); when you smoke a cigarette, about 1 to 2 milligrams get absorbed by your body [source: PBS]." It stimulates adrenal glands to produce epinephrine, a hormone and neurotransmitter you also know as adrenaline. This increases heart rate and blood pressure while constricting blood vessels; it also stimulates the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that controls the brain's pleasure center. Cotinine and other metabolites are excreted in urine, and they're also found in saliva and hair. Cotinine has about a 16-hour half-life, which means if you've smoked in the past day, using this metabolite as a biomarker will give your secret away in a urine screening test [source: CDC]. Its effects are considered a bit of a paradox. It perks up the central nervous system, but depending on the dosage some smokers find nicotine also acts as a sedative - may help people feel calmer, causing temporary feelings of relaxation as well as reducing stress, anxiety and even pain. Nicotine happens to imitate the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and your body increases its release of acetylcholine, leading to heightened activity in cholinergic pathways throughout your brain. Activity in the cholinergic pathways calls your body and brain into action, and you feel re-energized. Nicotine also stimulates the release of another neurotransmitter, glutamate; glutamate is involved in learning and memory and enhances the connections between sets of neurons. Nicotine also increases the level of other neurotransmitters and chemicals that modulate how your brain works. For example, your brain makes more endorphins in response to nicotine. Endorphins are small proteins that are often called the body's natural painkiller. Today's research finds there may be some positive uses for nicotine through safer delivery methods than cigarettes, including evidence that it may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. It may also show promise as a treatment for depression, anxiety and schizophrenia, and could possibly even help with wound healing [source: Graham, Leary]. ::Find me elsewhere:: http://www.facebook.com/candi.mccann http://www.twitter.com/CandiMcCann http://www.instagram.com/candimccann http://www.reddit.com/user/candimccann/ http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/members/86324/candimccann.html

• published: 01 Jan 2014
• views: 428