>There's been a few studies about the benefits nicotine can have for dopamine related conditions like
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>ADHD
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> and
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>Parkinson's
>
>. Do you think there's a possibility that the benefits of just nicotine (not tobacco) could outweigh the negatives for these kinds of conditions? How do the costs and benefits of nicotine compare to costs and benefits of drugs like adderall and L-Dopa?

Caveat, the people answering in the room are not experts in ADHD or Parkinson’s and their relationship to smoking. We will try to track down better answers later and respond directly.

Our initial thoughts are that nicotine has similar properties to stimulant medications, like Adderall. Stimulants can actually help smokers with ADHD quit smoking. Research on costs and benefits can be challenging because of the healthcare system and due to ethical considerations (if you have a medication that works you would need a good reason to give someone nicotine instead in a drug trial).

That is very interesting as schizophrenia is linked with nicotine use and ADHD. The vast majority of schizophrenics smoke at some time in their lives, many citing that it helps with symptoms though the research is inconclusive. Schizophrenia and ADHD have high comorbidity rates. Not to mention that psychosis can be a symptom of Parkinson's. Ah, that wiley dopamine!