 Nicotine absorption from cigar and pipe, however, is much less than that from cigarette smoke.Nicotine and cocaine activate similar patterns of neurons, which supports the existence of common substrates among these drugs.The absorbed nicotine mimics nicotinic acetylcholine which when bound to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors prevents the reuptake of acetylcholine thereby increasing that neurotransmitter in those areas of the body.