Nicotine
An a very addictive drug
Facts
In research about nicotine I found that nicotine is extremely dangerous, that it is in things other than cigarettes, and how it feels like adrenaline. These are my facts about nicotine.
- Nicotine is an colorless alkaloid chemical that is a mostly common source from the tobacco plant, which is in the nightshade family of plants.
- Nicotine is also present in small amounts in tomato, potato, green pepper, eggplant and coca plants.
- Nicotine is extremely poisonous. Just 30 - 60 mg of nicotine (a drop of pure nicotine in liquid form) is a lethal dose for an average adult. That said, tobacco products do not contain enough nicotine to cause a fatal overdose when used as directed. For example, a typical manufactured cigarette contains about 10 mg of nicotine, but most of it goes up in smoke, with approximately one milligram of nicotine being inhaled by the smoker.
- Most smokers are familiar with the feeling of a racing heart and / or shallow breathing when they smoke. Adrenaline, the 'fight or flight' hormone is responsible for this. When nicotine reaches the brain, adrenaline is released, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and restricting blood flow to the heart.
- When nicotine is inhaled it travels to the brain quickly (within 10 seconds) and attaches to receptors where the neurotransmitter acetylcholine would normally dock. This starts a chain of chemical reactions that influence numerous bodily functions.
- Dopamine is an neurotransmitter that is activated when nicotine reaches the brain. Dopamine causes feelings of euphoria and is thought to play a significant role in addiction.