However nicotine also seems somewhat palliative to a range of mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety, etc. I once read a paper that said something like 90% of schizophrenics were chain smokers who were self-medicating.
By that lens the widespread amount smoking in the past makes sense in eras before other pharmaceuticals.
Stimulants can trigger anxiety. QED, there.
I'm all for measures looking to curb smoking, but the issue is that nicotine seems to be put in the same category, at least judging by PSAs in France. Every nicotine-containing product has scary messages on it, although not to the point of actual cigarettes.
I think it's the general trend of losing nuance in public discourse. Things are either all bad or all good. This only confuses to public who can't be reasonably expected to peruse PubMed and build their own understanding of the subject.
They die of heart disease, mostly, which is caused by... drumroll please... prolonged nicotine use! At least, in part. It's actually more complicated and we don't know for sure.
It’s the damages caused by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the combustion products of drier leaf matter.
The answer is, probably, nicotine. We know, for sure, nicotine contracts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. And we know high blood pressure over time damages blood vessels.
You’re right though, nicotine is a CNS stimulant, which by definition does indeed constrict peripheral blood vessels, and raise blood pressure.
However, it is well documented that tobacco smoke contains many nastiest.
Check out the Health section here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_smoking
And well documented that wood smoke, and smoke from burning plant matter more generally, is a health hazard, and not just from the acute carbon monoxide risk.