BBC Documentary on Addiction and Nicotine

It's an interesting programme, and well done.

I'm not sure though if there are multiple clinical trials that strongly support the notion that nicotine is 'extremely addictive'. Smoking is - but then there are known to be (at least) 5,300 compounds in tobacco smoke, so it's a bit of a stretch to say nicotine is the only culprit.

I'm fairly sure that nicotine is indeed addictive, but perhaps not as much as is argued. For example, if a never-smoker is given nicotine regularly, then asked to cease it voluntarily, what is the evidence they can or cannot do so easily? Keep in mind this has little or no relation to addiction to smoking.

Smoking is addictive; but where is the evidence that nicotine is as addictive as smoking?