Nicotine Definition

There are many things that nicotine is, so to make a concise nicotine definition is nearly impossible. Instead, let’s define it by breaking down its many uses and forms.

Plant Based Alkaloid

Nicotine is found in many plants besides tobacco, including some herbs, and foods like peppers, tomatoes and eggplant. Eggplant is said to contain the highest amount of nicotine in a food.

Pesticide

In the 1940s purified nicotine was widely used as an insecticide called Black Leaf 40. The nero toxic effects proved a formidable opponent to crop destroying insects and it was widely used until the late 1980s and early 1990s when it was banned by the FDA.

Highly Addictive Drug

Recent studies have shown that nicotine is just as or more addictive than some very potent street drugs, such as cocaine or heroin. Nicotine floods more brain receptors than most other drugs.

Ingredient in NRT

With the advent of the nicotine gum, nicotine was repurposed as a quitting aid. Now nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) comes in many forms, including lozenge, patch, nasal spray and inhaler. Many non-medical devices containing nicotine, including e-cigarettes and nicotine water, have come on and off the market as well.

Super Toxin

The chemists that first isolated the nicotine molecule in the late 1800s classified it as a poison. In 1998, the EPA classified it as “super toxic.”

Explosive

Nicotine is explosive when exposed to heat or flame.

Appetite Suppressant

We know that nicotine is an appetite suppressant. This is why we reach for the food when we try to quit.

Experimental Medication

There has been research developed since the advent of NRT that highlights nicotine as a possible treatment for several diseases, such as colitis and schizophrenia.

Stimulant

At low doses, nicotine acts like a stimulant, increasing heart and other body functions.

Depressant

At higher doses, nicotine is a depressant. At extremely high doses, about 7 drops for a full grown adult, nicotine actually will paralyze the respiratory system and cause death.

Psycho-active Drug

Nicotine acts as a stimulant in the brain, attaching itself to dopamine receptors giving the user a reward response. It overloads these receptors and over time the brain chemistry changes to accommodate the influx of nicotine.

References:
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/nicotine
http://www.drugs.com/nicotine.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine

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