Nicotine intake increases dopamine approximately two and a half times above baseline, with a very short-lived effect.

“Nicotine. In particular, nicotine that is smoked like cigarettes and so forth, increases dopamine two and a half times above baseline. So there's a peak that goes up above baseline two and a half times higher. It is very short-lived.”

“that's why when people smoke a cigarette they get that boost of nicotine and they just feel clear it really works the other thing that happens is the thalamus sends information to a couple of places first of all it sends information to the reward centers of the brain the mesolympic reward pathway that releases dopamine and typically when nicotine is increased in our system dopamine goes up that's one of the reasons why nicotine is reinforcing we just like it it's a we seek it out”