Facts about Nicotine & NRT
It’s important for you to understand the part that nicotine plays in smoking addiction and how it compares to the other ingredients in a cigarette.
Nicotine and Addiction
Nicotine is the main reason people become addicted to tobacco products. This is because nicotine increases the release of chemicals in your brain that help regulate mood and behavior¹, particularly dopamine.
How does Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Work?
NRT works by replacing some of the nicotine normally provided by smoking cigarettes, this helps reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms for those quitting smoking.
Now that you know more about Nicotine and NRT, you can replace common misconceptions with the facts about nicotine and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT).
Does Nicotine cause cancer?
Nicotine hasn’t been proven to cause cancer.
There are more than 4,000 other chemicals in cigarette smoke, many of which are known to cause cancer.
Smoking can increase your risk for cancer of the mouth and throat, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas, voicebox (larynx), trachea, bronchus, kidney and renal pelvis, urinary bladder, and cervix, and causes acute myeloid leukemia.
Smoking is linked to about 72% of lung cancer cases in Canada¹. People who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. The longer someone has smoke, the more that sick grows². Secondhand smoke, too can increase your risk of lung cancer.
Is Nicotine the cause of other smoking-related diseases?
Nicotine is not the cause of other smoking related diseases.
It is the myriad of toxins in cigarette smoke, rather than the nicotine content, that are the cause of diseases like chronic lung disease and heart disease. .
Examples of toxic chemical components include: 1,3-Butadiene, Arsenic, Benzene, Cadmium, Chromium VI, Formaldehyde, Polonium-210 and Tar3 .
Will I gain weight if I quit smoking?
Individual responses to quitting smoking actually rage from weight loss to weight gain. To ensure that you do not gain weight when quitting, focus on eating healthy and staying active with exercise2.
Does Nicotine cause yellow stains on fingers and teeth?
The tar in cigarettes is what causes the unsightly yellow-brown stains on fingers and teeth, not the nicotine.
Is Nicotine a man-made substance?
Nicotine is a naturally occurring substance derived from the Nicotiana plant.
Does NRT substitute one addiction for another?
NRT provides lower, more controlled doses of nicotine in comparison to cigarettes. The dose is slowly decreased over time until you can gradually give up nicotine for good.
Is NRT a ‘cure’ for smoking?
NRT products, like NICORETTE®, don’t cure smoking and they won’t magically transform you from a smoker to a non-smoker overnight. However, they will make quitting smoking easier.
NRT works by releasing therapeutic nicotine into your bloodstream at much lower levels than in a cigarette, without the tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful tobacco-smoke chemicals. This helps relieve your difficult cravings. Of course, quitting will still require your willpower and effort.
Citations:
Health Benefits of Quitting
You’ll feel the health benefits of quitting within the first hour. Learn what happens to your body after you quit smoking.
Cigarette Chemicals & Your Body
Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals that affect every part of your body.
