Nicotine is found only in tobacco and it paves the way for cancer. But, is it true? It is a natural component found in many plants. Traces of nicotine are also found in various vegetables like brinjal, tomato, potato and others.

Cigarette smoke contains more than 7000 chemicals. Of these, chemicals like hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide and ammonia are known to be harmful to health. Some are natural components of the tobacco plant itself, but most of the harmful substances are formed not from nicotine itself but from the combustion of tobacco.

Products containing nicotine are often used to reduce anxiety, stress or depression. The ‘Human Centric Approach to Tobacco Control’ report highlights that stress and anxiety drive 62 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women in Tier-I cities to use tobacco. Nicotine from cigarettes is absorbed in the lungs through inhalation of smoke.

When nicotine enters the body, it enters the circulatory system and reaches the brain within 20 seconds, causing neurotransmitters that result in a sense of pleasure. The burden of cancer and tobacco-related diseases is enormous. A latest WHO report states that the number of new cases of cancer is likely to rise to at least 35 million in 2050 as compared to the cases diagnosed in 2022, representing a 77 per cent increase. An estimated 1.4 million cases of cancer were reported in India in 2022, while one in nine citizens may develop cancer in their lifetime.