Nicotine is addictive and the primary reason that it is so difficult for smokers to quit. It is a drug, and no drug can be completely safe – particularly if taken continuously in very high doses.
The halftime of nicotine is only 2 hours – meaning that after 2 hours 50% of the nicotine you have ingested has left your body (as a comparison the half time of caffeine is up to 5 hours). This half time means that after 8 hours (one night’s sleep for instance) only 6.25% of ingested nicotine remains in your body. After 24 hours only 0.02% – or in practical terms nothing – of your last ingested nicotine will remain in your body.
The relatively short halftime of nicotine may help explain why a smoker experiences withdrawal symptoms (a desire for another cigarette) an hour or two after their last cigarette.
