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Is Nicotine in Tobacco or an Additive?

Nicotine is the single most addictive factor associated with cigarette smoking. Many wonder if nicotine is added to tobacco by cigarette manufacturers or if it is simply a natural ingredient of tobacco that remains unaltered in the production process.

  1. Chemistry

    • Nicotine is an organic chemical compound that occurs naturally in the nightshade family of plants, which includes tobacco. While tobacco contains medically significant amounts of nicotine, other plants in the nightshade family, including tomatoes and eggplants, also contain small amounts of the chemical. In that sense, nicotine is not an additive. It is already present in the tobacco that is processed by cigarette manufacturers.

    Concerns

    • In 2006, The Boston Globe reported that the amount of nicotine in cigarettes had risen sharply over a recent seven-year period. This information stirred public concern that the tobacco industry might be boosting the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to intensify addiction and make it harder for smokers to quit.

    Controversy

    • Concern has given way to controversy as public health professionals cite compelling evidence that an unregulated tobacco industry is secretly manipulating the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. This evidence is used to support demands for increased regulation. Cigarette manufacturers dismiss such claims, responding that they have no control over nicotine level variations that occur in tobacco.

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