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.

man holding his hands anxiously

Quick Facts

  • Nicotine reaches the brain in less than 7 to 10 seconds after being inhaled.
  • Nicotine can be more addictive than alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine.1
  • Stress and anxiety are common withdrawal symptoms for someone with a nicotine addiction. While nicotine may help you feel calm, this effect is only temporary. Over time, nicotine use is linked with higher stress and poor mental health symptoms. Learn more about how tobacco affects mental wellbeing here.
  • 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, or even more.
  • Prescription medications, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), and behavioural coaching can help you quit or 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, or even start using both.

Learn about Nicotine, dopamine reward pathway in the brain

Over time, your brain gets used to receiving nicotine from cigarettes or vapes and starts to crave it, eventually making you dependent. This means you need more and more nicotine to feel ‘good’. As soon as you stop smoking or vaping, and your nicotine levels drop, you may experience various unpleasant withdrawal 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, mood, and nicotine

Many people think that smoking or vaping relieves stress, but it is actually the opposite.  When you smoke or vape, your brain releases feel-good chemicals that can help you feel calm by reducing symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. It is only a temporary effect that doesn’t deal with the source of stress or challenges with mental wellbeing. 

In fact, continued use of nicotine worsens feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress because your body develops a stronger addiction to nicotine. In the long run, quitting nicotine improves your mental wellbeing and quality of life.

Get tips on how to manage stress and moods.

Health Risks of Nicotine

The biggest health risk of nicotine is addiction, but nicotine affects many systems in the body including your brain, heart, and lungs.

Nicotine raises your heart rate and blood pressure and may increase your risk of developing heart disease and stroke.2 Nicotine may also contribute to cancer development. It may also affect your sleep quality3, hormones4, reproductive health5, and immune response.6

Young people under 25 are especially vulnerable to the effects of nicotine, as their brains are still developing.

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Nicotine use in adolescence also affects:
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Mood: Affects one’s ability to process emotions, increases the risk of depression and anxiety, and increases irritability and restlessness.

Cognitive function: Contributes to learning disorders and harms 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. Nicotine changes the chemistry in your brain and triggers a cycle of cravings. Continued nicotine use maintains and strengthens 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 

Experiencing withdrawal is a sign that your body is adjusting to being nicotine-free. The good news is that these unpleasant feelings are only temporary. Withdrawal symptoms are typically the strongest in the first week after you quit, then fade away in 2 to 4 weeks.7,8

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.

Get Free Coaching

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Prescription Medications

If you want to start your journey to quit or reduce nicotine, prescription medications can increase your chances of quit success. Prescription medications can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Subsidization for certain medications is available through the BC Smoking Cessation Program.

Read more

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Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

NRT products are a safe and effective way to help you quit or reduce smoking, vaping, or other commercial tobacco products. They deliver controlled doses of nicotine to help your body taper off nicotine, without the harmful additives in commercial products. 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

Is it possible to prevent nicotine addiction? Make informed decisions and try a nicotine-free lifestyle.

Learn about prevention
References

  1. Lopez-Quintero et al. (2011). Probability and predictors of transition from first use to dependence on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine: results of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Drug and alcohol dependence, 115(1-2), 120–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.11.004

  2. Münzel, T., Crea, F., Rajagopalan, S., & Lüscher, T. (2025). Nicotine and the cardiovascular system: unmasking a global public health threat. European Heart Journal. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf1010

  3. Singh, N., Wanjari, A., & Sinha, A. H. (2023). Effects of Nicotine on the Central Nervous System and Sleep Quality in Relation to Other Stimulants: A Narrative Review. Cureus, 15(11), e49162. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.49162

  4. Tweed, J. O., Hsia, S. H., Lutfy, K., & Friedman, T. C. (2012). The endocrine effects of nicotine and cigarette smoke. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 23(7), 334–342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2012.03.006

  5. Bhardwaj, J. K., Siwach, A., & Sachdeva, S. N. (2025). Nicotine as a female reproductive toxicant-A review. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 45(4), 534–550. https://doi.org/10.1002/jat.4702

  6. Nouri-Shirazi, M., & Guinet, E. (2003). Evidence for the immunosuppressive role of nicotine on human dendritic cell functions. Immunology, 109(3), 365–373. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2567.2003.01655.x

  7. Hughes J. R. (2007). Effects of abstinence from tobacco: valid symptoms and time course. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 9(3), 315–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/14622200701188919    

  8. McLaughlin, I., Dani, J.A., De Biasi, M. (2015). Nicotine Withdrawal. In: Balfour, D., Munafò, M. (eds) The Neuropharmacology of Nicotine Dependence. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13482-6_4

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