A Comprehensive Guide to What Nicotine is – Its Properties, Effects, and NZ Laws

Today, we're going to talk about the most active ingredient and centrepiece of discussion when it comes to tobacco and vape products: nicotine. In this article, we'll cover what nicotine is, its effect on the human body, and how it's regulated by New Zealand law.

What Is Nicotine, Actually?

Nicotine, with the chemical formula C₁₀H₁₄N₂, was first identified as a chemical in 1828 by German chemists Wilhelm Heinrich Posselt and Karl Ludwig Reimann, after successfully isolating it from tobacco. Nicotine is a naturally occurring organic compound found in tobacco and other plants in the nightshade family. Despite being poisonous at high doses, evidence shows its earliest human use dates back around 12,000 years. It is a stimulant drug with a powerful effect on the human brain.

In cigarettes, nicotine is produced and inhaled through the combustion, or burning, of tobacco. In vapes, since there's no combustion, nicotine is one of the active ingredients in e-liquid and is inhaled as part of the aerosol produced when vaping.

There's an important distinction to understand about nicotine: it's the compound that makes smoking and vaping products addictive, but it is not what causes cancer or most of the serious illnesses associated with smoking. Those illnesses come from the other chemicals produced by burning tobacco. This is a major misconception, even among long-term smokers, and it affects how people weigh the risks of smoking, vaping, and even nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), which we'll come back to later.

The Effects of Nicotine on the Human Body

When inhaled through vaping or smoking, nicotine reaches the brain very quickly. Once there, it binds to nicotinic receptors and triggers the release of chemicals that affect mood, appetite, and memory, including dopamine, often called the "feel-good" chemical for the sense of pleasure and reward it produces. It also affects the body in other ways, including increasing heart rate and blood pressure.

This quick, rewarding effect is a large part of why smoking and vaping can become habitual and drive repeated use. The diagram below shows how each puff feeds that use-and-reward cycle.

Why Is Nicotine Addictive?

As mentioned above, the quick effect is what makes nicotine addictive. As the brain is exposed to it regularly, it adapts and becomes dependent on it, creating a sensation where the user craves to smoke or vape again, developing into addiction. Once someone becomes dependent, stopping can be difficult, and forcing oneself to stop can cause withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, stress, and intense cravings.

This is when the cycle sets in. Nicotine is used to ease the discomfort of withdrawal, but the relief is only temporary, and the symptoms return, prompting the user to smoke or vape again to relieve them.

It's important to note that fighting addiction isn't just a matter of determination and willpower. It involves an actual change in the brain's chemistry, so it's not only psychological but also physiological. That's why even highly motivated people can find it hard to stop.

How New Zealand Regulates It

Nicotine dependence and addiction is why it's regulated worldwide, and New Zealand is no exception. Alongside existing age and marketing restrictions on nicotine products, the New Zealand government caps nicotine concentration at 28.5mg/mL, applying to both freebase nicotine and nicotine salt e-liquids. These restrictions reflect the government's position on vape products: to support adult smokers switching away from cigarettes, discourage non-smokers from taking it up, and eliminate youth uptake.

Medicinal Use of Nicotine

Despite its reputation, nicotine has some medical applications. It is primarily used in Nicotine Replacement Therapy, or NRT, to help people who've developed a dependence on nicotine through smoking or vaping reduce that dependence. By delivering small, controlled doses through gums, patches, lozenges, inhalers, or oral sprays, NRT introduces nicotine to the body without the other dangers found in tobacco smoke, easing cravings and withdrawal symptoms during the quitting process. In New Zealand, patches, gum, and lozenges are subsidised and available through Quitline, a doctor, or a pharmacist, and NRT is generally recommended for at least 8 to 12 weeks.

Medical application of nicotine is also an active area of research. Some examples include:

• Parkinson's disease. Some animal trials have shown neuroprotective effects, and some studies suggest smokers have a lower rate of developing the disease. However, clinical trials on humans haven't shown significant symptom improvement from nicotine therapy despite promising lab results.
• Ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory conditions. Nicotine has known anti-inflammatory properties and has been viewed as a potential treatment for ulcerative colitis. Some trials have shown promising results, but it isn't yet considered a standard treatment.
• Cognitive and mood research. Some studies suggest nicotine may help cognition and memory, prompting researchers to explore its use for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Since it induces dopamine production, some studies also explore its potential as an antidepressant.

Despite this research, NRT remains the only medically approved and prescribed use of nicotine for treatment. Where these experimental applications are used, it's usually under controlled conditions. It's also worth noting nicotine is only used medicinally through patches, gums, or sprays, not through smoking or vaping.

The Bottom Line

Nicotine is a fast-acting, natural compound that carries both the appeal and the addictiveness associated with vaping and smoking. Understanding its properties is key to making informed decisions. Misinformation and carelessness can be costly, and misuse can be dangerous. Discipline and responsibility remain key to personal and public health and safety.

This article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you are trying to quit smoking or vaping, speak with your doctor, pharmacist, or Quitline (0800 778 778). Vaping products are restricted to adults 18+ under New Zealand's Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act.