[Safety of long-term nicotine use: An ongoing debate]

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Pharmacology
• Public Health

Background:

• Long-term nicotine use is explored as a harm reduction approach for smokers unable or unwilling to quit.
• The safety profile of sustained nicotine exposure remains a significant public health concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety of long-term nicotine use.
• To assess the risk-benefit balance of nicotine in smoking cessation and risk reduction.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of publications from PubMed, Toxibase, and Google Scholar.
• Inclusion of data from regulatory agency websites (FDA, HAS).

Main Results:

• Nicotine is potentially implicated in atherosclerosis development.
• Evidence suggests nicotine may act as a cancer precursor, promoting proliferation and angiogenesis while inhibiting apoptosis.
• Nicotine may possess genotoxic properties.

Conclusions:

• The safety of long-term nicotine use cannot be definitively established.
• A thorough risk-benefit assessment is crucial, particularly within the context of risk-reduction strategies.