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What Is Nicotine?
Touch of Vape FAQs
Nicotine is the substance that makes cigarettes and vaping products addictive, and one of the most commonly used yet least understood compounds in everyday life. Here is a clear, honest explanation.
Alkaloid
Naturally Occurring Compound in the Tobacco Plant
Stimulant
Classified as a CNS Stimulant
Not a Carcinogen
Cancers From Smoking Are Caused by Combustion, Not Nicotine
The basics
What Is Nicotine?
A naturally occurring alkaloid that acts as a CNS stimulant and creates dependence
Nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco: not itself a carcinogen
Nicotine is a naturally occurring chemical compound, an alkaloid, found primarily in the tobacco plant. It is the primary psychoactive and addictive substance in tobacco products. Nicotine acts on the central nervous system as a stimulant, triggering the release of dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline, producing alertness, mild euphoria and the craving cycle associated with smoking and vaping. It is not classified as a human carcinogen, the cancers associated with smoking are caused by the combustion products in tobacco smoke, not by nicotine itself.
What nicotine does
What Nicotine Does in the Body
Effect on the Brain: Dopamine and Reward
Nicotine binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain's reward pathway and triggers dopamine release. The rapid, repeated dopamine hits from regular vaping or smoking create strong conditioned associations between use and reward, which is the mechanism of nicotine addiction.
Heart and Blood Vessel Effects
Nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure through adrenaline release and peripheral vasoconstriction. These effects occur within minutes of use. For healthy adults, these transient elevations are managed without clinical consequence. For people with cardiovascular conditions, the repeated daily stimulation warrants clinical discussion.
Nicotine in Vaping Products
In UK-regulated e-liquids, nicotine is extracted and purified from tobacco leaf and added to the PG and VG base in precisely measured concentrations. UK law caps the maximum at 20mg/ml. Nicotine is available in freebase and nicotine salt forms. Nicotine salts, used in products like Bar Drop, deliver nicotine more smoothly and with faster absorption than freebase.
01
Nicotine creates dependence: its most significant harm
The loss of autonomy over one's chemical state and the withdrawal cycle that comes with dependence are genuine harms.
02
Nicotine is not what causes smoking-related cancer
The carcinogens in tobacco smoke come from combustion. NRT products have been used for decades without producing smoking-comparable cancer rates.
03
Vaping delivers nicotine without combustion
This is the core of the harm reduction case for vaping: the same nicotine without the 70-plus combustion carcinogens.
04
Nicotine salt makes high-strength vaping comfortable
The salt formulation in products like Bar Drop makes 10mg and 20mg smooth and comfortable to use.
Bar Drop Nicotine Salts
Bar Drop Nicotine Salts: Quality Nicotine, Smooth Delivery
MHRA-notified, TRPR-compliant nic salts in 10mg and 20mg.
Shop Bar Drop at our Bar Drop Nicotine Salts collection.
From our FAQs
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FAQs
Our FAQ guide covers nicotine, nic salts and the science behind the products we sell.
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Understand Your Nicotine: Shop Bar Drop Nic Salts.
Quality, regulated nicotine salt products available now.
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