nicotine (University of New South Wales)

Vaporised nicotine, also referred to as vaporized nicotine products (VNPs) or electronic cigarettes, is a nicotine-delivery intervention used as a therapeutic aid for smoking cessation. It consists of a liquid solution containing either nicotine salts (typically 40 mg/mL in pod-based devices) or freebase nicotine (typically 18 mg/mL in tank-based devices), which is aerosolized via an electronic vaporiser for inhalation. Nicotine acts as a potent agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the central nervous system, mimicking the pharmacological effects of smoked tobacco to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and cravings associated with tobacco use disorder. This intervention is currently being evaluated by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in a Phase 3 superiority trial (ACTRN12621000076875) comparing its efficacy to traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) among low-socioeconomic status adult smokers.

Other names

vaporised nicotinevaporized nicotine productsVNPselectronic cigarettese-cigarettes