La nicotina es un compuesto orgánico, un alcaloide encontrado principalmente en la planta del tabaco (Nicotiana tabacum), con alta concentración en sus hojas (constituye cerca del 5% del peso de la planta y del 3% del peso del tabaco seco) estando también presente en otras plantas de la familia Solanacea aunque de forma marginal (en el rango de 2–7 µg/kg), como en el caso del tomate, la berenjena, el pimiento y la patata. En cantidades aún más marginales, ha sido encontrado en otras plantas como la coliflor, la pimienta verde o el té negro. La nicotina debe su nombre a Jean Nicot, quien introdujo el tabaco en Francia en 1560. Se sintetiza en las zonas de mayor actividad de las raíces de las plantas del tabaco y es transportada por la savia a las hojas verdes. El depósito se realiza en forma de sales de ácidos orgánicos. Es un potente veneno e incluso se ha usado históricamente como insecticida. En bajas concentraciones, la sustancia es un estimulante y es uno de los principales factores de adicción al tabaco. Es polar y soluble en agua.

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Nicotine is a potent parasympathomimetic alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) and is a stimulant drug. Nicotine is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist, except at nAChRα9 and nAChRα10 where it acts as an antagonist. Nicotine is found in the leaves of Nicotiana rustica in amounts of 2–14%, the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum, Duboisia hopwoodii and Asclepias syriaca. It constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco and is present in the range of 2–7 µg/kg of various edible plants. It functions as an antiherbivore chemical; consequently, nicotine was widely used as an insecticide in the past and neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid are currently widely used. Nicotine is highly addictive. An average cigarette yields about 2 mg of absorbed nicotine, and in lesser doses of that order, the substance acts as a stimulant in mammals, while high amounts (50–100 mg) can be harmful. This stimulant effect is a contributing factor to the addictive properties of tobacco smoking. Nicotine's addictive nature includes psychoactive effects, drug-reinforced behavior, compulsive use, relapse after abstinence, physical dependence and tolerance. Limited data is available on the health effects of long term use of nicotine. The general medical position is that nicotine itself poses few health risks, except among certain vulnerable groups. Nicotine in the form of nicotine replacement products is less of a risk than compared to smoking. Nicotine is associated with a range of harmful effects, including potential birth defects and at high enough-doses, poisonings. In vitro studies have associated it with cancer, but carcinogenicity has not been demonstrated in vivo. There is inadequate research to demonstrate that nicotine is associated with cancer in humans. As medicine, nicotine is used to help with quitting smoking and has good safety in this form. During pregnancy, there are risks to the child later in life for type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, neurobehavioral defects, respiratory dysfunction, and infertility. At high enough doses, nicotine is potentially lethal. It is unlikely that a person would overdose on nicotine through smoking alone. The use of electronic cigarettes, which are designed to be refilled with nicotine-containing e-liquid, has raised concerns over nicotine overdoses, especially with regard to the possibility of young children ingesting the liquids.

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