Nicotine after healed spinal fusion, will it always effect the fusion?

[sunbear171]

I recently had a bi-level cervical spinal fusion and while I do not smoke I was taken by how critical being nicotine free during recovery is to allow for the fusion to take. Everything that I found (no surprise here) said basically quit smoking and never smoke or touch another nicotine product again. However. My question is, what about after the spinal fusion has heal and the vertebra are fully fused? I could find no information about nicotine intake after this has taken place, everthing just came back to the general advice do not use nicotine while rcovering. Now I am so curious I want to tear my hair out. Does anyone know if someoen who is a smoker or a tobacco chewer/dipper puts their spinal fusion at risk even after it has fully fused and healed if they return to their habit?