Christian Rosig | January 24th, 2025

Editor’s Note: The Vanderbilt Vanguard does not condone the recreational use of nicotine without medical advice. While this article explores research on nicotine in its pure form, we strongly discourage its use outside medically advised contexts due to its potential for addiction and health risks.

Nicotine, despite its association with smoking, has been shown to offer potential benefits when used responsibly and in its pure form. 

Research indicates that nicotine can enhance alertness in non-smokers and can provide cognitive benefits such as improved attention and working memory. These findings highlight nicotine’s potential as a cognitive enhancer, separate from its harmful reputation due to smoking. While nicotine may offer some cognitive and alertness benefits, the potential risk, including addiction, cardiovascular issues, and other health complications, far outweigh its advantages, particularly when associated with harmful delivery methods like smoking. 

References

Griesar WS, Zajdel DP, Oken BS. Nicotine effects on alertness and spatial attention in non-smokers. Nicotine Tob Res. 2002 May;4(2):185-94. doi: 10.1080/14622200210123617. 

Mishra A, Chaturvedi P, Datta S, Sinukumar S, Joshi P, Garg A. Harmful effects of nicotine. Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol. 2015 Jan-Mar;36(1):24-31. doi: 10.4103/0971-5851.151771. 

Valentine, Gerald, and Mehmet Sofuoglu. “Cognitive Effects of Nicotine: Recent Progress.” Current Neuropharmacology 16, no. 4 (May 1, 2018): 403–14. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159X15666171103152136.