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RCORP - Rural Center of Excellence on SUD Prevention

How Nicotine Affects Your Brain

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Videos
Videos

Transcript

How Nicotine Affects Your Brain [upbeat music playing]

Within a few seconds of taking a puff, the chemical nicotine reaches your brain. Nicotine releases chemical messengers called neurotransmitters like dopamine, which acts in the reward center of the brain. Other neurotransmitters that act on different parts of your brain can enhance concentration, memory, and mood. That's why when you first start to vape or smoke, it can feel good.

That's how it starts to hook you. The more you vape, the more tolerance you build and the more nicotine you need to get the same feeling. That's because your brain actually changes. Now there are more receptors in your brain that require more nicotine to get the feel good chemical messengers.

So you do it more often or use vapes with higher nicotine levels. After using nicotine regularly for weeks, if you try to stop, you can feel nauseated, anxious, irritable, or have headaches. Then you have to vape more just to feel normal again, which makes it really hard to stop. Even if you want to.

[upbeat music slowly fades out]

Transcript

How Nicotine Affects Your Brain [upbeat music playing]

Within a few seconds of taking a puff, the chemical nicotine reaches your brain. Nicotine releases chemical messengers called neurotransmitters like dopamine, which acts in the reward center of the brain. Other neurotransmitters that act on different parts of your brain can enhance concentration, memory, and mood. That's why when you first start to vape or smoke, it can feel good.

That's how it starts to hook you. The more you vape, the more tolerance you build and the more nicotine you need to get the same feeling. That's because your brain actually changes. Now there are more receptors in your brain that require more nicotine to get the feel good chemical messengers.

So you do it more often or use vapes with higher nicotine levels. After using nicotine regularly for weeks, if you try to stop, you can feel nauseated, anxious, irritable, or have headaches. Then you have to vape more just to feel normal again, which makes it really hard to stop. Even if you want to.

[upbeat music slowly fades out]

Transcript

How Nicotine Affects Your Brain [upbeat music playing]

Within a few seconds of taking a puff, the chemical nicotine reaches your brain. Nicotine releases chemical messengers called neurotransmitters like dopamine, which acts in the reward center of the brain. Other neurotransmitters that act on different parts of your brain can enhance concentration, memory, and mood. That's why when you first start to vape or smoke, it can feel good.

That's how it starts to hook you. The more you vape, the more tolerance you build and the more nicotine you need to get the same feeling. That's because your brain actually changes. Now there are more receptors in your brain that require more nicotine to get the feel good chemical messengers.

So you do it more often or use vapes with higher nicotine levels. After using nicotine regularly for weeks, if you try to stop, you can feel nauseated, anxious, irritable, or have headaches. Then you have to vape more just to feel normal again, which makes it really hard to stop. Even if you want to.

[upbeat music slowly fades out]

References

Hartmann-Boyce, J., Chepkin, S. C., Ye, W., Bullen, C., & Lancaster, T. (2018). Nicotine replacement therapy versus control for smoking cessation. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5(5), CD000146. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000146.pub5

Hsia, S. L., Myers, M. G., & Chen, T. C. (2017). Combination nicotine replacement therapy: Strategies for initiation and tapering. Preventive Medicine, 97, 45–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.12.039

Hurst D. (2015). Nicotine lozenges and behavioural interventions may help smokeless tobacco users to quit. Evidence-based Dentistry16(4), 104–105. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ebd.6401129

Prochaska, J. J., & Benowitz, N. L. (2019). Current advances in research in treatment and recovery: Nicotine addiction. Science Advances, 5(10), eaay9763. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay9763

Siu, A. L., & U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2015). Behavioral and pharmacotherapy interventions for tobacco smoking cessation in adults, including pregnant women: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Annals of Internal Medicine163(8), 622–634. https://doi.org/10.7326/M15-2023

Wadgave, U., & Nagesh, L. (2016). Nicotine replacement therapy: An overview. International Journal of Health Sciences, 10(3), 425–435. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5003586/ 

Description of video imagery

Title: How Nicotine Affects Your BrainA person's head appears. Circular Ns, representing nicotine, stream into the brain. The figure puffs on an e-cigarette, and Ns spread throughout the brain. Blue circles emit from nicotine molecules into the brain. A dopamine starburst appears. Icons representing concentration, memory, mood appear. A blue figure does a happy dance. Rs representing receptors absorb multiple Ns for nicotine. The figure vapes while nicotine floods the brain. Weeks pass on the calendar. The figure shows nausea, irritability, headache, and suffering. The screen fills with nine head figures vaping. The brain appears on screen with nicotine molecules dissipating. Helpful resources for quitting nicotine appear. A link to the project website and references are provided.

More Information

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Resources to Help Quit Vaping

Digital Quitting Program (Truth Initiative)

Vaping and E-cigarettes: Quitting, Resources, Facts (New York State Quitline)

Stop Smoking/Vaping (Center for Community Health and Prevention, University of Rochester Medical Center)

Learn more about addressing adolescent e-cigarette use in rural communities.

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How can we help?

1-844-263-8762 (1-844-COE-URMC)

URMedicine_Recovery@urmc.rochester.edu

LinkedIn

This HRSA RCORP RCOE program is supported by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) as part of an award of $3.33M in the current year with 0% financed with non-governmental sources.

The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the US Government.

As the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Rural Center of Excellence on SUD Prevention, UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence provides access to a wide range of resources on relevant topics. Inclusion in this document does not imply endorsement of, or agreement with, the contents by UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence or the Health Resources and Services Administration.  

© Copyright 2025 University of Rochester Medical Center

Terms and Conditions

How can we help?

1-844-263-8762 (1-844-COE-URMC)

URMedicine_Recovery@urmc.rochester.edu

LinkedIn

This HRSA RCORP RCOE program is supported by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) as part of an award of $3.33M in the current year with 0% financed with non-governmental sources.

The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the US Government.

As the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Rural Center of Excellence on SUD Prevention, UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence provides access to a wide range of resources on relevant topics. Inclusion in this document does not imply endorsement of, or agreement with, the contents by UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence or the Health Resources and Services Administration.  

© Copyright 2025 University of Rochester Medical Center

Terms and Conditions

How can we help?

1-844-263-8762 (1-844-COE-URMC)

URMedicine_Recovery@urmc.rochester.edu

LinkedIn

This HRSA RCORP RCOE program is supported by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) as part of an award of $3.33M in the current year with 0% financed with non-governmental sources.

The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS or the US Government.

As the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Rural Center of Excellence on SUD Prevention, UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence provides access to a wide range of resources on relevant topics. Inclusion in this document does not imply endorsement of, or agreement with, the contents by UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence or the Health Resources and Services Administration.  

© Copyright 2025 University of Rochester Medical Center

Terms and Conditions