Nicotine is an addictive chemical that comes from the tobacco plant. It speeds up messages between the brain and body and can make you feel anxious.
Children and young people are most at risk of negative effects from nicotine.
Types of nicotine product
Products that contain nicotine can include:
- cigarettes
- loose tobacco for rollies or pipes
- vapes
- smokeless tobacco products such as nicotine pouches (snus)
Some nicotine products contain synthetic nicotine. This does not come from the tobacco plant. It is made in a lab to mimic the effects of nicotine.
It can be hard to know how much nicotine is in these products. The tobacco industry also designs these products to make them more addictive and attractive.
For example, they:
- add other chemicals to increase the effect of nicotine
- design devices to increase the rate the body absorbs nicotine
- use flavours and packaging to target young people
These nicotine products are not the same as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT is a group of safe and effective medicines that help people stop smoking. They contain low levels of nicotine and you use them for around 12 weeks.
Effects of nicotine
Effects of nicotine can include:
- increased heart rate
- narrowed blood vessels and damage to blood vessels
- changes to blood fat levels
- problems with blood glucose levels
- problems getting an erection
- problems sleeping
- nausea
- anxiety
- fertility problems
- problems with attention, learning and impulse control in young people
Over time, these effects can increase the risk of conditions such as:
- heart disease
- stroke
- high cholesterol
- type 2 diabetes
Effects from the way you use nicotine
There are other effects and risks depending on how you use nicotine.
Risks include breathing problems and types of cancer. The health risks increase if you use more than 1 type of nicotine product.
Find out more about:
Nicotine and the developing brain
The brain continues to develop until around age 25. This means that children and young people are more sensitive to damage from nicotine. They also cannot assess risks the same way as adults.
Nicotine can cause problems with:
- attention and learning
- mood
- impulse control
- anxiety
No type of product or amount of nicotine is safe. Some vape liquids sold as 0% nicotine have been found to contain nicotine.
Nicotine poisoning
Nicotine poisoning happens when there is too much nicotine in your body. Nicotine poisoning is not common in adults. But it can happen in children if they swallow or eat nicotine products. For example, vape liquid or cigarettes.
Children are drawn to packaging and flavours of vape liquids or nicotine pouches (snus). Always keep nicotine and tobacco products out of the reach of children.
Symptoms of nicotine poisoning can happen in 2 phases.
Symptoms soon after poisoning include:
- feeling sick (nausea)
- getting sick (vomiting)
- making more saliva than usual
- tummy pain
- pale and sweaty skin
- increased heart rate and blood pressure
- fast and heavy breathing
- dizziness and problems with balance or walking
- muscle twitches or shaking
- headache
Later symptoms include:
- diarrhoea
- low blood pressure and a slow heart rate
- irregular heartbeat
- muscle weakness
- seizures (fits)
- problems breathing
- unconsciousness
Emergency action required: Phone 01 809 2166 if:
- you think your child has swallowed a nicotine product
This is the Poisons Information Line. It is open from 8am to 10pm every day.
Outside of these hours, contact your GP or hospital. In an emergency, call 112 or 999.
Nicotine dependency
Regular use of nicotine can cause:
- tolerance - when you need to take more to get the same effects
- dependency
Signs of dependency can include:
- cravings for nicotine
- withdrawal symptoms
- continuing to use a substance even when it causes you harm
Withdrawal symptoms
Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include:
- cravings - all you can think about is smoking or vaping
- low mood
- irritability
- anxiety
- headaches
- problems sleeping
- nausea
- constipation
Many people continue to use nicotine products to relieve these symptoms. They may connect the feeling of relief with the nicotine product. But there is no benefit in using nicotine products such as cigarettes, vapes or snus.
Nicotine and other substances
Nicotine can reduce the effectiveness of some medicines or increase side effects.
Some medicines affected by nicotine include:
- antipsychotic medicines
- antidepressants
- oral contraceptives
- insulin
- betablockers
- painkillers
- methadone
- benzodiazepines
But nicotine affects hundreds of medicines.
Contact your GP if you stop or start using a nicotine product and take medicines. They may need to change the dose of a medicine you take or recommend another medicine.
Using nicotine with alcohol and drugs
Using nicotine with alcohol or drugs can increase your risk of harm. It can make you smoke, vape or use more of a drug than you intended to.
Other risks depend on the type of drug, for example:
- strain on your heart - with drugs that slow down messages between your brain and body such as alcohol, ketamine or opioids
- increased heart rate - with drugs that speed up messages between your brain and body such as amphetamines, MDMA or cocaine
- anxiety - with drugs that cause hallucinations, such as LSD
If you are worried about nicotine use
We offer free support and advice on options that help with nicotine withdrawal.
The quit programme can help you quit if you use:
- tobacco products such as cigarettes and pipes
- a combination of tobacco and other nicotine products - for example, you smoke cigarettes and vape
Create a quit plan and get support
We have other advice if you do not use tobacco products and you want to quit vaping. Our advice on vaping can also help if you want to stop using nicotine pouches (snus).
If you are worried about someone else
You cannot make someone else change their nicotine use.
But you can:
- help them find their own reasons to quit
- offer to support them if they want to quit