Is Nicotine Replacement Really Safe?

We know nicotine is what makes cigarettes so addictive, but it's all that other stuff in cigarettes that makes them so deadly, right?

Researchers who studied the effects of lower and higher nicotine cigarette smoke in mice report we might have to adjust those assumptions. Their study reveals mice exposed to lower-nicotine smoke developed smaller atherosclerotic lesions than mice exposed to higher-nicotine smoke. The finding suggests nicotine replacement products like the gum and patch might not be as safe as previously reported.

"Right now, the general consensus is that the problem with cigarettes is tar and that nicotine is safe. That's why you can buy nicotine gum or patches to help you stop smoking," Dr. Daniel F. Catanzaro, principal investigator of the study, was quoted as saying. "Our study presents new evidence that nicotine may not be safe at all, especially for your heart."

He and his colleagues compared atherosclerotic lesions in mice exposed to smoke from a new type of low nicotine cigarette that works by heating up inhaled air to activate its contents rather than actually burning the tobacco. Another new type of cigarette containing tobacco that's been genetically engineered to have a lower level of nicotine was also used in the study. These cigarettes were compared to traditional cigarettes with higher levels of nicotine. All the cigarettes contained about the same amount of tar.

While mice exposed to smoke with lower levels of nicotine developed smaller lesions, the investigators stress the best outcomes were seen for control mice, which weren't exposed to cigarette smoke at all. Researchers report this finding emphasizes what doctors have been telling the public for years: don't smoke, and if you do, quit.

Study authors also note switching to a cigarette with lower levels of nicotine might not do much good in real life, as previous research has suggested people who switch from regular cigarettes to lower tar and nicotine cigarettes usually just end up smoking more and taking deeper drags to compensate.