NICOTINE HACKS OUR BRAINS

Join the F* NICOTINE campaign. Share this website and the content that amazing creators are making. Make your own content. Share your story of nicotine addiction in your world and tag #Fnicotine and #SnapTheTrap. Be part of  F* NICOTINE from the start.

Look, it’s not people that use nicotine that are the problem, it’s the Biz. It’s a predatory industry that is using one of the world’s most addictive substances to turn young people into human ATMs. People should be protected, and people who want to stop—and most people want to stop—should be helped to quit.

Sometimes the best way to break an addiction is to steadily reduce what you’re addicted to, before cutting it out altogether. Nicotine gum and patches are one way to help you do this and most are regulated as quit medication. The problem is that tobacco and vaping companies aren’t trying to help people quit; they are trying to get more people hooked. The younger the better from their POV.

Cigarettes contain harmful chemicals vapes don’t; but vapes contain harmful chemicals cigarettes don’t—including heavy metals proven to cause cancer. And the products are changing faster than science can measure—even breakfast cereal is more regulated than most nicotine products. They may contain massive levels of nicotine, or chemical additives not meant for inhalation—nobody really knows except the companies that make them. The same is true for heated tobacco products: Independent studies show HTP vapor contains carbon monoxide and other chemicals found in cigarette smoke. Included are volatile organic compounds and harmful and potentially harmful constituents, some of which are found in higher concentrations in HTP emissions than in cigarette smoke, including carcinogens.

Overall, cigarettes are the world’s most fatal consumer product, killing one out of two people when used as intended. Someone who switches to a different nicotine product and never smokes again is likely doing themselves somewhat less harm, but the best bet is never to start.

In some countries that can’t keep up with the firestorm of new products, they are. But more than 60 countries have no regulations at all, because Big Tobacco has deep pockets and deep political influence. It pays lobbyists millions to intimidate politicians to delay and block public health policy.  The countries that have the lowest smoking and nicotine product rates have heavy regulations on what is in these products, where they are sold and how they are marketed—and that’s probably the best way forward. That’s why youth-led campaigns, like F* NICOTINE, are needed. We have  to show governments we want change… and we want it now.

This lie started 100 years ago—in cigarette ads. If it feels like nicotine relieves stress, it’s because nicotine caused the stress. When you’re addicted, you crave your next nicotine hit. When you get it, you stop craving for a short while. Then your addiction kicks in and you start stressing about your next hit. It’s genius. Evil genius.

Your brain is still under construction until around age 25, especially in areas that control decision-making, focus, and memory. Nicotine sneaks in and rewires how your brain’s “reward system” works, making it crave more and making it harder to quit. Studies show that using nicotine during this time can change the shape and connections of brain cells in areas like the prefrontal cortex (your control center), the hippocampus (your memory hub), and the amygdala (your emotion center). These changes can mess with attention, memory, and self-control, and the effects can last into adulthood. In other words, nicotine isn’t just giving you a buzz—it’s rewriting your brain’s code to keep you hooked.