Imperial Tobacco Canada - Nicotine explained

What is nicotine?

Nicotine belongs to a family of compounds called alkaloids and occurs naturally in several varieties of plant – including tomatoes, aubergines and potatoes – but is found at its highest levels in the tobacco plant. We don’t add nicotine to our conventional cigarettes and the nicotine in our e-liquids for our vapour products is extracted from tobacco leaf.

What are the effects of using nicotine?

These have been shown to range from helping adults to relax to acting as a stimulant. Other reported effects include improvements in mood and concentration. As a stimulant, it can lead to short-term increases in heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, most potentially reduced-risk products are not suitable for pregnant women or people with heart conditions, severe hypertension or diabetes.

Is nicotine harmful?

Because nicotine is so closely associated with smoking we understand why some people may think it is responsible for many of the harmful effects of smoking. Consuming nicotine is not completely risk free. However, it is now widely acknowledged that the cause of most the of serious health risks associated with conventional cigarettes is the toxicants in the smoke produced when tobacco is burned – and not the nicotine.

Is nicotine addictive?

Nicotine can be addictive, which is why the sale of any nicotine product should be age restricted.