The enantiomeric composition of nicotine in 18 smokeless tobaccos, 3 strains of tobacco leaf, 8 pharmaceutical products, and 4 commercial reagents was determined. The relative amount of the minor enantiomeric component, (R)‐(+)‐nicotine, ranged from ∼0.1% to ∼1.2% of the total nicotine in all samples. In some cases it appears that (R)‐(+)‐nicotine may be considered one of the five most common alkaloids in tobacco products. The highest level of (R)‐(+)‐nicotine was found in a commercial transdermal patch. The extraction and purification processes used in obtaining commercial (S)‐(−)‐nicotine supplies from tobacco do not appear to decrease the amount of (R)‐(+)‐nicotine present. Chirality 10:587–591, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.