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Tobacco / Nicotine
Where are we going today?
• Tobacco History & Types of Tobacco
• Tobacco Routes of Administration
• Nicotine Absorption & Distribution
• Metabolism & Excretion
• Neurophysiological Effects
• Behavioral Effects
• Adverse Effects
• Tolerance & Withdrawal
• Addiction & Treatment
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History of Tobacco
• Originated in the Americas
• Brought to Europe – Spain & France 1500’s
• 1559: Jean Nicot – introduced snuff to the
royalty of France – popularization
• 1809 – nicotine named as active ingredient
• 1604 – King James I – anticipated the adverse
health effects of smoking tobacco
• Very popular in England despite King’s Taxes
and cost of import from Spain
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Tobacco – a CA$H crop
• 1616 – John Rolfe in Virginia colony grew
Spanish tobacco seeds with great success
• Supply and Demand = $MONEY$
– governmental taxes of tobacco became an
integral source of revenue in early 1600’s
• Continued popularity until the 1960’s when the
harmful effects of tobacco became public
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Tobacco – a drug?
• Nicotine is unregulated by the FDA
• FDA –defines drug as intended to affect a
structure or function of the body or used as a
treatment, cure, or disease prevention
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Administration – Oral (Transdermal)
• Tobacco chewed in the mouth – nicotine
absorbed transdermally into blood stream
– rarely consumed through digestive system
– nicotine = highly toxic poison
• produces nausea & vomiting
• metabolized fast in the liver – 1st pass
metabolism cuts down on nicotine
entering blood supply when digested
• Differences in curing process manipulated the
pH of tobacco for better absorption in mouth!
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Types of Tobacco
• Chewing tobacco
– cured: air-cured dark
– pH: 8 = < 50% ionization
• Pipe & Cigar tobacco
– drying process: air-cured light
– pH: 8.5 = < 50% ionization
• Cigarette tobacco
– drying process: flue-cured or bright
– pH: 5.3 = close to 100% ionized – why?
