Sustainability Investors Media Reporting Careers Contact us Worldwide Search About us Our products How we work Our industry Nicotine explained Answers to some frequently asked questions about nicotine It is now widely acknowledged that it is the toxicants in the smoke produced when tobacco is burned – and not the nicotine – which cause most the of serious health risks associated with conventional cigarettes. What is nicotine? Nicotine belongs to a family of compounds called alkaloids and occurs naturally in several varieties of plant – including tomatoes, aubergines and potatoes – but is found at its highest levels in the tobacco plant. We don’t add nicotine to our conventional cigarettes and the nicotine in our e-liquids for our vapour products is extracted from tobacco leaf. What are the effects of using nicotine? These have been shown to range from helping adults to relax to acting as a stimulant. Other reported effects include improvements in mood and concentration. As a stimulant, it can lead to short-term increases in heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, most potentially reduced-risk products are not suitable for pregnant women or people with heart conditions, severe hypertension or diabetes. Is nicotine harmful? Because nicotine is so closely associated with smoking we understand why some people may think it is responsible for many of the harmful effects of smoking. Consuming nicotine is not completely risk free. However, it is now widely acknowledged that the cause of most the of serious health risks associated with conventional cigarettes is the toxicants in the smoke produced when tobacco is burned – and not the nicotine. Is nicotine addictive? Nicotine can be addictive, which is why the sale of any nicotine product should be age restricted. Is nicotine poisonous? Like many substances, at high dosage or concentrations it can be poisonous, but nicotine is not poisonous at the levels normally consumed through the use of tobacco and vapour products.. The nicotine in our e-liquids for our vapour products is low dosage, but should only be used as intended. We make it clear that e-liquids should be kept out of the reach of children and we provide guidance on what to do if e-liquids are accidentally spilt on the skin, swallowed or if the person feels unwell after using the product. External links bat-science.com Our products Overview of our portfolio Cigarettes Potentially reduced-risk products Tobacco heating products Vapour products Oral tobacco and nicotine products Understanding the relative risks of our products Nicotine explained Home Our products Potentially reduced-risk products Understanding the relative risks of our products Nicotine explained Latest tweets BAT Science @BAT_Sci #InVitro toxicological assessment is hugely important as a tool for BAT to assess our vaping and tobacco heating pr… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 02 Oct Our UK & Ireland Head of Legal & Ext Affairs Will Hill addresses vaping event, talking about BAT's commitmen… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 02 Oct Current UK share price 3557.00p +54.00p 02 Oct 2018 16:58 Quick Links Modern Slavery Act Statement Gender Pay Report Annual Report Sustainability Report Share price data Worldwide websites Email alerts Site map Contact us British American Tobacco p.l.c. Globe House 4 Temple Place London WC2R 2PG T: +44 (0) 20 7845 1000 Accessibility Privacy Notice Cookie policy Conditions of use Financial information © British American Tobacco