A growing movement across social media, podcasts and tech communities is repositioning nicotine — long associated with tobacco harm — as a natural cognitive enhancer and wellness aid, with influencers claiming it boosts focus, reduces stress and even guards against dementia. A pulmonary physician-scientist writing in The Conversation warns that these claims go well beyond what human studies support: while nicotine can temporarily affect alertness by acting on brain receptors involved in attention and reward, perceived benefits in regular users largely reflect relief from withdrawal rather than genuine enhancement. Nicotine remains highly addictive, raises heart rate and blood pressure, is harmful during fetal and adolescent development, and long-term use is associated with worse mental health outcomes — with people who quit smoking typically reporting lower anxiety and improved mood over time.