Nicotine is the addictive chemical found in tobacco and vaping products. Learn about nicotine addiction, the health risks of nicotine, and how to break the cycle of nicotine addiction and quit for good.

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Quick Facts

  • Nicotine reaches the brain in less than 7 seconds. 
  • Nicotine is more addictive than alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine. 
  • It is a myth that nicotine reduces stress. Once addicted to nicotine, withdrawal can worsen stress and anxiety. 
  • Young people are more vulnerable to the effects of nicotine and can get addicted more easily. 
  • One vape pod can contain as much nicotine as one pack of cigarettes. 
  • Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and behavioural coaching can help you quit/reduce nicotine products.

How does nicotine addiction work?

Nicotine is a stimulant and causes your brain to release dopamine, the “feel-good chemical”, when you first start to use it.  It can also temporarily improve concentration and alertness and make you feel more relaxed. This feeling is only temporary, though, and when it goes away, your body wants more.  This can make you feel stressed or agitated, prompting you to smoke or vape again.

Learn about Nicotine, dopamine reward pathway in the brain

Over time, your brain gets used to receiving nicotine from cigarettes or vaping and starts to crave it, eventually making you dependent, meaning you need more and more nicotine to feel ‘good’. As soon as you stop smoking or vaping, and your nicotine levels drop, you go into withdrawal, and can experience various unpleasant symptoms such as irritability, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating. The only things that will relieve these symptoms are either more nicotine, or time without nicotine (quitting). This is one of the things that makes it so hard to quit.

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The relationship between stress and nicotine

Many people think that smoking or vaping relieves stress, but it is actually the opposite. The feel-good chemicals that are released in the brain when you smoke or vape work to temporarily reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. However, this is short-lived. In fact, as a result of nicotine addiction, feelings of anxiety and stress can worsen. This is because when you go without nicotine for a period, you can experience irritability and restlessness among other symptoms.  

The relief and the feeling of relaxation that you get from smoking or vaping is actually just relief from the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal- it is not helping you deal with the source of stress.

Get tips on how to manage stress.

Health Risks of Nicotine

The biggest health risk of nicotine is addiction, but nicotine affects every system of the body, including cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and reproductive. Nicotine increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and can cause reproductive toxicity in expectant mothers. It may also increase the risk of certain types of cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

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Young people under 25 are especially vulnerable to the effects of nicotine, as their brains are still developing. Since young people’s brains are still developing, they can get addicted to nicotine more easily than those over age 25.

Nicotine use in adolescence also affects:

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Mood: Harms one’s ability to process emotions, increases risk of depression and/or anxiety, and increases irritability and restlessness.

Cognitive function: Can lead to or worsen learning disorders and harm memory and concentration. These effects can persist into adulthood and worsen with age.

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Quitting Nicotine

Nicotine is addictive and the more you use it, the harder it can be to quit. Using nicotine actually changes the chemistry in your brain. It increases the number of nicotine receptors in the brain. This triggers a cycle of cravings and nicotine use that maintains addiction.  

When you are trying to quit nicotine, you will likely experience withdrawal symptoms from the lack of nicotine.

Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal may include: 

  • Anxiety/agitation 
  • Tiredness 
  • Difficulty concentrating 
  • Nausea 
  • Irritability 
  • Trouble sleeping 
  • Increased hunger 

Withdrawal symptoms and nicotine cravings can be challenging to manage, but there are some tools that can help:

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Behavioural Support

Talking to a Quit Coach helps you work through the psychological aspects of nicotine addiction and develop the skills and tools you need to quit.

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Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

NRT products are the safest way to consume nicotine. They deliver controlled doses of nicotine and do not carry the negative health effects of smoking or vaping. Using NRT can help you manage nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Read more
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Gradual Reduction

Transition to lower nicotine concentrations, try to smoke/vape less frequently, and cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke per day or times you use nicotine-based products daily.

Methods to Quit

Handle your cravings and withdrawals with our tips

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