Natural analogs less addictive?

[bomexsaturn]

Are "natural" analog cigarettes less addicting since they lack added chemicals? I am trying to quit analogs and have switched to Natural American Spirit cigs hoping to help break my analog addiction. any input is appreciated. Thanks

[Swipple]

Prior to vaping I was smoking American Spirit Blues.... I do not seem to have had some of extremes (such a mis-nomer (sp)) in switching as did some of my friends... I will tell you however, start vaping and quit the analogs all together you will be shocked. Also do not be afraid to try flavors... I am digging the coffee flavours I got but truth be told I cannot get over the double-mint flavor.

[Wireguy]

Not that I could tell. I smoked additive free cigs for years. Quitting is still a bear.

[NCC]

Unless the natural analogs have less nicotine I can't see how they would be less addictive. I've never read anything which even hinted that various additives to less 'natural' analogs would be addictive. I certainly don't know it all, but I have a hard time believing cig producers are adding addictive components in addition to the naturally occurring nicotine.

OTOH, eCigs had me drop a 35 year moderate smoking addiction (1-2 packs/day) instantly! It still blows my mind that I haven't even wanted an analog since January 15th. I DID smoke a couple since then ... just out of curiosity. Even while smoking, I was thinking how much more I'd be enjoying my eCig. It is STRANGE. Not everyone has been that successful in putting down analogs, and your mileage may vary.

[Madame Psychosis]

Well, to answer your question...it seems likely that they are less addictive to some degree.
I just looked around a bit and found some stuff.

Tobacco companies have working for decades on engineering cigarettes with additives that are not addictive in themselves, but may enhance the effects/addictiveness of smoking.
If you want a bit of a horror story about all the additives and the ones that cigarette makers have discussed in their internal documents, this is a good read:
Pharmacological and Chemical Effects of Cigarette Additives

But...it's possible that this effect gets canceled out for some. At least two (small) studies have found that smokers who switch to additive-free cigarettes manage to compensate.
I found this kinda interesting:

Nicotine delivery from smoking bidis and an additive free cigarette
In each session, subjects (n = 10) smoked a single cigarette: an unfiltered Natural American Spirit, an unfiltered Irie bidi, an unfiltered Sher bidi, or one of the participant's own brand. ... American Spirit (32.1 ng/ml) and Irie bidi (26.0 ng/ml) cigarettes increased plasma nicotine more than the participant's own brand (18.5 ng/ml). Subjects smoked longer and took more puffs to consume the American Spirit® (452.8 s, 14 puffs) and Sher bidi (354.4 s, 14 puffs) than the participant's own brand (297.4 s, 10 puffs). In spite of differences in nicotine delivery, participants rated all cigarettes as similar in nicotine content. Overall, the results indicate that bidis and the additive-free cigarette delivered nicotine, CO and (presumably) other toxic components of tobacco smoke in equal or greater amounts than conventional cigarettes. ...

YMMV of course, these aren't huge studies by any means (10 smokers in that one).

I tried smoking American Spirits. Way too much for me in the taste/strength department. Whatever's added to the Parliament Lights I liked made a smoother, more tolerable flavor. Which, of course, let me keep smoking them... I suppose if I'd forced myself to only smoke American Spirits, I'd have cut down a lot, but I didn't see the point in taking the fun out of a vice while keeping the habit.

[Synf]

Not really. I remember when I switched from marlboro mediums to Am. Spirit Yellows... Went from a pack and a half a day to 3 - 4 cigs a day. They have more nicotine in them. much more. They also take way longer to smoke. sometimes I would not even finish smoking them.

[tarkus]

I was a 3 pack a day smoker. About a year ago I went to the native natural analogs. No change in my habit. Started ecigs in December and still needed about 4 analogs a day for the first few weeks. Then the number started falling. I had one tonight after not having 1 for a couple of days I put it out after only smoking half.

I just posted this: I had no intention of quitting cigarettes but...yuk!

[tanisloray]

Being a Biology major....not that I could add much to the science already posted, but the whole addicting atmosphere and why it is such a problem with cigarettes is based in many different areas, not just chemical.

Smoking is an approved, yes APPROVED, method of delivery for a SOCIALLY accepted drug. Just like alcohol. However, neither of these are treated as DRUGS. We treat alcohol as a drink and smoking as...well...just something to do to feel better. This makes access easy.

The chemical addiction, is of course to nicotine. We smoke to alleviate stress and become focused. These are scientifically proven results from smoking nicotine. However, it is only due to the method of delivery, which is inhalation. This provides the fastest route to the brain, other than injecting it directly into the blood stream, which could prove toxic or even fatal. The brain likes nicotine and it does it's mojo and bam.

One of bad things about nicotine, is that it doesn't last very long in the brain. It is processed pretty quickly, depending of course on how much you have smoked. But the brain will want more. So in essence, while we are smoking MORE to alleviate withdrawal symptoms, we are also smoking more cigarettes to alleviate stress, which is basically stacked. Stress from withdrawal PLUS stress from the environment = MORE stress than just being stressed from the environment.

Another part of the addiction lies in the behavior of smoking. We all smoke in different places...and get used to it. We get addicted to pulling the cig out...lighting it...and taking that first drag. Holding it in our hand. The whole hand to mouth thing. All addiction.

So while natural analog cigarettes may not have any of the chemicals, these chemicals do not have any addictive properties for the most part. The addiction lies in the nicotine and behvior. Along with the social acceptance of the practice. So they don't have the chemicals...but it doesn't make them any less addicting.

All this combined, makes smoking the most difficult addiction to treat.

[idoesmoking]

Very nicely written tanisloray

[Iwannaquit4good]

I found mine to be more addictive being they were cheaper off the rez at about 10 bucks a carton and now about 24.00. So I was able to go to town and not hurt my bank account to much. Also they tasted better n that made me want more as well.