Why “Nicotine” is being discussed
The most recent Hacker News stories and comments contributing to this topic's mentions.
How are you determining this scale? Alcohol has greater negative side effects than pot, and nicotine is more addictive than cocaine or pot. I’m not sure what you mean by “exotic…
by kaikai · Sep 25, 2026
tabex Not available in the US. I quit smoking 8 years ago but can't wean myself off of vaping. Not that I really tried though and I can easily do a transatlantic flight. The pro…
by stasomatic · Sep 24, 2026
I would think nicotine does most of the heavy lifting qua addictive potential
by lanfeust6 · Sep 24, 2026
I don’t really know anything about the field other than having heard somewhere over a decade ago of a then-recent study showing that it is in and of itself carcinogenic, but it…
by thfuran · Sep 23, 2026
Nicotine is not carcinogenic and neither are nicotine products like patches or gum. Nicotine products are distinct from tobacco products, and tobacco contains a lot more than ni…
by lunchbucket · Sep 23, 2026
I switched to nicotine patches and never looked back, I use them as nootropics now. The key is to break any brain connection between doing something and receiving nicotine, no o…
by jiaosdjf · Sep 23, 2026
Interest
Proportion of Hacker News items mentioning "nicotine" over time.
Mentions
Total number of Hacker News items mentioning "nicotine" over time.
Nicotine is a stimulant and alkaloid found primarily in plants of the nightshade family, notably in tobacco; it is also synthesized. Nicotine is used recreationally for its stimulant and anxiolytic effects. In tobacco leaves, nicotine constitutes about 0.6–3% of the dry weight, and smaller, trace quantities occur in other Solanaceae crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. In pure form, nicotine is a colorless to yellowish, oily liquid that readily penetrates biological membranes and acts as a potent neurotoxin in insects, where it serves as an antiherbivore toxin. Historically, it was widely used as an insecticide, and its structure provided the basis for synthetic neonicotinoid pesticides. Read more on Wikipedia