A real scandal? Big manipulation of Big Tobacco (tobacco industry)? Journalistic shame? A recent article du Monde et The Investigative Desk launches a great controversy on the web in recent days. The object of the disagreement? The scientific fight against Covid-19 (Coronavirus) thanks to nicotine denounced by several media as a simple exploitation of the hypothetical virtues of nicotine by the tobacco industry.
NICOTINE, AN INCONVENIENT CLINICAL TRIAL?
Last spring, the news fell! Nicotine could be useful in the fight against Covid-19 (coronavirus). Two studies are put online in quick succession by doctors at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris. The first announcement, on April 19, that only 5% of patients with Covid-19 are smokers, while France has 25,4% of daily smokers.
In November 2020, the “Nicovid Prev” clinical trial is to assess the ability of nicotine to prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. More than 1 non-smoking nursing staff will thus be placed on a nicotine patch for several months. « Many arguments suggest that nicotine is responsible for [a] protective effect by inhibiting the penetration and propagation of the virus in cells. », says the communicated of the Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), promoter of this trial funded to the tune of 1,8 million euros by the Ministry of Solidarity and Health.
To Le Monde et The Investigative Desk, there is clearly "rock eel". According to them, this substance " is not trivial Because it is nicotine. " Small ropes and big laborers of the tobacco industry "These two mainstream media go so far as to denounce this clinical trial by accusing the tobacco companies" exploitation of hypothetical virtues of nicotine ".
THE ANGER OF MANY SCIENTISTS!
While the tobacco industry can clearly be blamed for the world's tobacco deaths, it cannot be given a monopoly on the truth about nicotine. It is however common knowledge that the 
Nicotine can have many beneficial effects, whether for vaping or to treat many diseases (Alzheimer or even Parkinson's).
And as much to say that the investigation of the newspaper Le Monde as well as The Investigative Desk (Bloomberg) has just provoked the anger of several scientists whose Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, Greek cardiologist who knows the subject of nicotine well.
On the social network Twitter, he declares: " Bloomberg, a shame . They hate studying nicotine (NRTs !!!) regarding COVID, so they hire "journalists" (who hide their sponsorship) for ad hominem attacks with LIES against me and other researchers! Mafia-type tactics! Science is NOTHING for them! "
Bloomberg disgraces. They hate studying nicotine (NRTs !!!) for COVID, so they hire “journalists” (who hide their sponsorship) for ad hominem attacks with LIES against me, Changeux and other researchers!
Mafia-like tactics! Science is NOTHING to them!https://t.co/s3xdVx6xt1- K. Farsalinos (@FarsalinosK) December 21, 2020
For its part, Jacques Le Houezec, nicotine specialist states: " It's a shame for Le Monde to publish such nonsense. Risk reduction and nicotine are being attacked from all sides in a coordinated fashion without any scientific basis. "
It's a shame for @lemondefr to publish such nonsense. Risk reduction and nicotine are being attacked from all sides in a coordinated fashion without any scientific basis. https://t.co/FSVfFhVLvv
- Jacques Le Houezec (@JLHamzer) December 21, 2020
Suffice to say that the "investigation" of the newspaper Le Monde and The Investigativ Desk (funded by Bloomberg) has not finished talking in the coming days! To learn more about nicotine, its effects and its use, we invite you to watch the documentary You Don't Know Nicotine.
