This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

An ironic development emerging alongside the “Make America Healthy Again” movement is the portrayal of nicotine as a wellness and performance-enhancing product. Across social media, podcasts, natural medicine communities and tech startups, prominent wellness personalities and other influencers are portraying nicotine as a misunderstood compound whose potential benefits have been overshadowed by its negative association with cigarettes.

In these circles, nicotine is now being hailed as a natural product that can be used for everything from improving focus to protecting against cognitive decline. As a pulmonary physician-scientist who studies nicotine addiction and the health consequences of tobacco and nicotine products, I am concerned about these claims.

The greatest health risks arise when tobacco is burned, which generates thousands of toxic substances, including carcinogens, carbon monoxide, and fine particulate matter. Repeated exposure to these combustion products can cause cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, and numerous other smoking-related illnesses.

Nicotine’s comeback as a wellness product is more about non-smoking options, such as nicotine pouches, or some combine nicotine with other substances marketed as cognition enhancers, like caffeine and nootropics. While many smoking-related diseases result from the chemical products of combustion, nicotine itself has well-known negative effects on the brain and body.