Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Nicotine

Nicotine is a pyridine alkaloid produced chiefly by tobacco (Nicotiana species) and the principal addictive constituent of tobacco products. It acts as an agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems, stimulating dopamine release in mesolimbic reward pathways, which acco…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 62× across the literature 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Nicotine is a pyridine alkaloid produced chiefly by tobacco (Nicotiana species) and the principal addictive constituent of tobacco products. It acts as an agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems, stimulating dopamine release in mesolimbic reward pathways, which accounts for its reinforcing and dependence-producing properties, as well as effects on arousal, mood, heart rate, and blood pressure. Rapidly absorbed and distributed, nicotine is metabolised principally to cotinine, a marker used to assess exposure. While nicotine itself drives addiction, the combustion products of smoked tobacco carry the major burden of disease, and the rise of electronic cigarettes and vaping has reshaped patterns of nicotine consumption and exposure, including involuntary exposure. Tobacco control, cessation support, and the assessment of emerging products are therefore central public-health concerns. Research published in this area by the journal addresses these issues, including the cardiovascular effects of involuntary smoking and vaping, the oropharyngeal-cancer risk associated with electronic-cigarette use, self-efficacy in smoking cessation, evaluation of smoking bans and progress toward tobacco-free policy, transitions from smoking to vaping, and the oral microbiology of substance users. These contributions span the cardiovascular, oncological, and behavioural consequences of nicotine and tobacco use and the policies and interventions intended to reduce them.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

2020

From Smoking to Vaping: What does Judaism have to Say?

Turner AkivaCorresponding author
Chair and Professor, Department of Health Science, Nova Southeastern University, USA
Exact topic Public Health International Cited by 2 doi:10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-20-3163
2019

Surgical Site Infections: A Still Ongoing Challenge

A. S. Sardenberg RodrigoCorresponding author
Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital Paulistano, Americas Serviços Médicos São Paulo, Brazil
Exact topic International Journal of Infection Prevention Cited by 2 doi:10.14302/issn.2690-4837.ijip-18-2515

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 62 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Nicotine, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Addiction Disorder and Rehabilitation.

Journal editorial board
Michael Klein · United States Bahadir Bozoglan · United States Lingyong Li · United States

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.