Nicotine

Nicotine

Cigarette smoking has been known for years to impair health of smokers and nonsmokers exposed to smoke in various ways such as by damaging the lungs and circulatory system. Nicotine, present in mainstream and sidestream smoke, is believed to be one of the most toxic components of tobacco. In 1994, David Kessler, commissioner of the FDA, launched an attack on tobacco companies, claiming they deliberately increased nicotine levels in cigarettes. Nicotine has been shown in various experiments to induce tolerance in smokers by its effects on the CNS and dopaminergic receptors. David Kessler believes nicotine to be addictive and desires the FDA to regulate nicotine as any drug such as cocaine. If the agency can prove that nicotine is addictive and that the manufacturers of tobacco products have control over the levels of nicotine in their products, the road is open to regulating cigarettes.

Although there have been some experiment that disprove nicotines adverse effects, most studies point to nicotine as a very toxic agent. Nicotine is not essential to tobacco products. It is a naturally occurring slightly basic alkaloid with a pyridine and a pyrrolidine ring. It is estimated that the average smoker inhales with each puff, a dose of nicotine equivalent to .1mg nicotine given intravenously. Nicotines pKa is 9. Its half-life is two hours. Nicotine is converted to its metabolites by the P450 enzyme system and by aldehyde oxidases. Nicotine and its metabolites, such as cotinine, Nnitrosomornicotinine (NNN), and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)1-butanone (NNK) are toxic to humans. As is shown in P4, many people in the United States smoke. The average mg of nicotine per cigarette has declined in the United States in the1980...

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