Nicotine is an addictive chemical compound that is found in tobacco plants. Products like cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco (such as snuff or chewing tobacco), hookah shisha, and most e-cigarettes & vape juice contain nicotine. Nicotine is the addictive chemical that leads to continued purchase of these products, but the most harmful parts of these products include other chemical additives like formaldehyde, lead, and arsenic. Due to these additives, smoke from both traditional tobacco products and vapes have the potential to be harmful to both the main consumer and those around them as secondhand smoke.
Nicotine is a type of drug that is classified as a stimulant, meaning that it speeds up signals traveling through the body.

Cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco may include additional chemical additives to preserve the dried tobacco leaves and add flavor to the product. Some of these additives are known to cause cancer.
Examples include:

• Hydrogen Cyanide
• Formaldehyde
• Lead
• Arsenic
• Benzene

Short term effects include lingering smoke smell, increased heart rate, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Long term effects include addiction, lung disease, heart disease, cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
For more on health effects from nicotine use, click here.