Rethinking Nicotine Use: An Evaluation of the Efficacy of Nicotine Containing Smoking Cessation Products and the Potential of Nicotine to Treat Diseases

Abstract

Nicotine is an addictive drug that is naturally found in the tobacco plant which is used to make tobacco products such as cigarettes. Due to the multiple dangers associated with the use of cigarettes, smoking cessation products have flooded the market. This includes products such as nicotine replacement therapy, e-cigarettes, and vape products. However, the efficacy of these products has come under scrutiny due to conflicting research in which some say the products are effective while others say they are not. Therefore, one of the aims of this thesis is to re-evaluate the efficacy of smoking cessation products. This was accomplished by distributing a survey to users of smoking cessation products as well as to general practitioners (GPs) to gain two perspectives on the efficacy of smoking cessation products. In addition, in regard to nicotine specifically, there has been speculation about its therapeutic potential. This can be drawn back to the self-medication hypothesis which is the theory that people diagnosed with schizophrenia often smoke cigarettes to alleviate the symptoms associated with the disease. With that in mind, this thesis also aims to identify the benefits and adverse effects of nicotine consumption, as well as the different neurological diseases it can potentially treat. This will serve to measure the therapeutic potential of nicotine. To accomplish this aim, a literature search was conducted, and a survey was distributed to current users of smoking cessation products diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and GPs. The findings of this thesis show that NRT and ENDS products are not effective for smoking cessation purposes, but nicotine has great therapeutic potential in multiple diseases including neurological diseases.