Nicotine is an addictive substance. It can work in different areas of the brain, changing the pleasure and reward circuitry of a very complex organ. Most adults who have nicotine dependence started using nicotine products as children. Because of nicotine’s ability to change the neuronal pathways of the brain, nicotine is almost never recommended for use in kids whose brains are still developing.
What are nicotine patches?
Nicotine patches are a form of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Other forms of NRT that can be bought at a drug store or over the counter include gums and lozenges. These products are used to treat nicotine withdrawal symptoms when someone is trying to quit using nicotine products. None of these nicotine-containing products are approved by the FDA for use in children under 18 years old.
Are things like nicotine patches safe to use in kids?
Nicotine patches and nicotine replacement therapy should only be used to help overcome nicotine dependence or addiction. There is no other reason to give a child nicotine – a highly addictive substance that can alter the brain.
Research in adults has shown these products are an effective way to quit, but there are limited studies in teenagers and children. However, there is no evidence it causes harm in adolescents who have used it to get over dangerous habits like smoking, using e-cigarettes or vaping. All those practices combine nicotine with toxic chemicals and cancer-causing agents. Nicotine replacement therapy doesn't use these things and is therefore safer. Anyone under 18 years of age should have a prescription from a healthcare professional who can give guidance on using nicotine replacement products to help them meet their goals of nicotine cessation.
What are the concerns about and risks of using nicotine patches in children?
Nicotine patches are different than tobacco containing products because they don’t have harmful cancer-causing toxins in them. They do however contain nicotine – a highly addictive substance acting in the brain and with the potential to alter how the brain of a child develops.
The form of nicotine used in things like patches is long-acting, and there are no studies looking at how much nicotine is in a child’s system when they use nicotine patches. That means we don’t know all of the risks a child is exposed to when they use a nicotine patch, but we can say it is safer than using tobacco products that may cause cancer. Therefore kids and their parents should avoid using any nicotine unless it is to try and quit tobacco products.
What are we still learning?
There are no known uses of nicotine patches or nicotine replacement therapies in children outside of using them to help with nicotine dependence or addiction.
There are studies in adults looking at using nicotine to help with things like seizures, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In these cases, the use of nicotine might be helpful – but much more research is needed to show that.
We know nicotine is addictive, we know it can alter how a child’s brain grows and that this is harmful. Nicotine replacement therapies should be used with a healthcare professional in children only when they want to overcome nicotine dependence and the use of tobacco products.
For more information visit these resources:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2817963/#sec9
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking-tobacco/how-smoking-and-nicotine-damage-your-body
- https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/tobacco-control-and-prevention/
- https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/tobacco-control-and-prevention/youth-tobacco-cessation/nicotine-replacement-therapy-and-adolescent-patients/?srsltid=AfmBOopbcg23J9lw4Kt0ulRZf4LML9nh5UXosKt4-0v_MwlpEy9WoV1-
Nicotine is an addictive substance. It can work in different areas of the brain, changing the pleasure and reward circuitry of a very complex organ. Most adults who have nicotine dependence started using nicotine products as children. Because of nicotine’s ability to change the neuronal pathways of the brain, nicotine is almost never recommended for use in kids whose brains are still developing.
What are nicotine patches?
Nicotine patches are a form of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Other forms of NRT that can be bought at a drug store or over the counter include gums and lozenges. These products are used to treat nicotine withdrawal symptoms when someone is trying to quit using nicotine products. None of these nicotine-containing products are approved by the FDA for use in children under 18 years old.
Are things like nicotine patches safe to use in kids?
Nicotine patches and nicotine replacement therapy should only be used to help overcome nicotine dependence or addiction. There is no other reason to give a child nicotine – a highly addictive substance that can alter the brain.
Research in adults has shown these products are an effective way to quit, but there are limited studies in teenagers and children. However, there is no evidence it causes harm in adolescents who have used it to get over dangerous habits like smoking, using e-cigarettes or vaping. All those practices combine nicotine with toxic chemicals and cancer-causing agents. Nicotine replacement therapy doesn't use these things and is therefore safer. Anyone under 18 years of age should have a prescription from a healthcare professional who can give guidance on using nicotine replacement products to help them meet their goals of nicotine cessation.
What are the concerns about and risks of using nicotine patches in children?
Nicotine patches are different than tobacco containing products because they don’t have harmful cancer-causing toxins in them. They do however contain nicotine – a highly addictive substance acting in the brain and with the potential to alter how the brain of a child develops.
The form of nicotine used in things like patches is long-acting, and there are no studies looking at how much nicotine is in a child’s system when they use nicotine patches. That means we don’t know all of the risks a child is exposed to when they use a nicotine patch, but we can say it is safer than using tobacco products that may cause cancer. Therefore kids and their parents should avoid using any nicotine unless it is to try and quit tobacco products.
What are we still learning?
There are no known uses of nicotine patches or nicotine replacement therapies in children outside of using them to help with nicotine dependence or addiction.
There are studies in adults looking at using nicotine to help with things like seizures, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In these cases, the use of nicotine might be helpful – but much more research is needed to show that.
We know nicotine is addictive, we know it can alter how a child’s brain grows and that this is harmful. Nicotine replacement therapies should be used with a healthcare professional in children only when they want to overcome nicotine dependence and the use of tobacco products.
For more information visit these resources:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2817963/#sec9
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking-tobacco/how-smoking-and-nicotine-damage-your-body
- https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/tobacco-control-and-prevention/
- https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/tobacco-control-and-prevention/youth-tobacco-cessation/nicotine-replacement-therapy-and-adolescent-patients/?srsltid=AfmBOopbcg23J9lw4Kt0ulRZf4LML9nh5UXosKt4-0v_MwlpEy9WoV1-
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