Is nic really addictive?

[AXIOM_1]

I will not disagree, my friend. I, too, have read the reports. I am not a biochemist. Maybe they're right, but I don't believe it. And yes, I also agree there seems to be something else as well.

yeah guys like you and me (long time smokers) know better......... Here is how I think about the subject of nicotine (right or wrong) ....> Back in the day (even to this very day) it was just a common household thought that if you were a smoker then you were addicted to NICOTINE............ That was what was reported in the media of the time and so people believed it hook line and sinker.......... It would not surprise me in the least if BT along with the FDA was blaming a relatively benign substance (nicotine) as being the addictive agent in tobacco so that it would be a cover for all of the really dangerous crap that they were adding to tobacco. They were having everybody focus on nicotine to get the attention off of all the other toxins they were adding......... Anyway, that is a very plausible supposition and one that I believe......... Plus, I still believe nicotine has slightly addictive properties because I can definitely feel it when I stop vaping for awhile.

 

[Tonee N]

A friend of mine tried Chantix and said it was horrrific. Stopped taking it. Anybody interested just google the side effects and testimonials.

Been there done that. Week 3 melted some brain cells.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[AXIOM_1]

Been there done that. Week 3 melted some brain cells.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

lol .........it wouldn't have bothered me then as I don't have many brain cells.

 

[englishmick]

So from what i gather nic is addictive, regardless of the research that says otherwise.

I've seen it suggested that nicotine on its own will not produce dependency. There have been several research efforts that support this.

Cigarettes contain a cocktail of alkaloids, and when they are all taken together, as in cigarettes, they produce a physical dependency. Once that dependency is set in place then nicotine alone can act like an addictive substance. Vaping provides the substance, and satisfies the addiction.

However some people need the other alkaloids as well as nicotine to satisfy the addiction. Hence the use of WTA extracts can help those people.

I've seen biological explanations for all that, in terms of specific brain receptors, though I can't put my hand on it right now. It's been posted and discussed here.

I don't know if all that is correct, but the evidence seemed quite convincing to me when I read it. I'm fairly confident that the answer is more complex than yes or no. I certainly don't believe the answer can be derived from anecdotal reports. Hopefully there will be more research as time goes by.

 

[AXIOM_1]

I've seen it suggested that nicotine on its own will not produce dependency. There have been several research efforts that support this.

Cigarettes contain a cocktail of alkaloids, and when they are all taken together, as in cigarettes, they produce a physical dependency. Once that dependency is set in place then nicotine alone can act like an addictive substance. Vaping provides the substance, and satisfies the addiction.

However some people need the other alkaloids as well as nicotine to satisfy the addiction. Hence the use of WTA extracts can help those people.

I've seen biological explanations for all that, in terms of specific brain receptors, though I can't put my hand on it right now. It's been posted and discussed here.

I don't know if all that is correct, but the evidence seemed quite convincing to me when I read it. I'm fairly confident that the answer is more complex than yes or no. I certainly don't believe the answer can be derived from anecdotal reports. Hopefully there will be more research as time goes by.

yeah like I said earlier, this entire tobacco addiction syndrome is likely a synergistic phenomenon that has more than one component to it.

 

[Zakillah]

In a nutshell...
Nicotine + other Alkaloids + MAO inhibitors (as in Tobacco smoke)...very addictive.
Isolated Nicotine...possibly just mildly addictive.

 

[Eskie]

There will be considerable variability between individuals of their propensity to develop addiction to an addictive substance. Differences from social exposure to genetic brain receptor structure differences will affect that propensity. Not everyone who tries a cigarette becomes addicted. We've all likely see friends or family who can "social" smoke. The same is true for all the other commonly seen addictive substances.

Comparing to over the counter NRT isn't terribly helpful as the delivery mechanism is different that when inhaled across a large surface of tissue which can absorb it.

I do believe the "habit" and association with activities contributes a great deal and vaping does mimic at least a bit of that. As for me, if I've gone several hours without being able to vape, I know placing a few drops of juice in my mouth will reduce craving. As I doubt I'm craving the flavorings, I am pretty comfortably stating nicotine is addictive for me. Even among vapers there will be variability in the importance of nicotine content over just the hand to mouth and seeing a cloud and folks with severe nicotine dependency.

 

[mattiem]

So from what i gather nic is addictive, regardless of the research that says otherwise.

Nicotine Propaganda

To understand what is being said in the above article one first has to separate nicotine from smoking. I believe one that smokes or has smoked has had their brain chemistry scrambled by all the other chemicals in the smoke or dip or chew. I believe the companies that make smokes do add things that tend to make us more dependent on their products. Gotta keep folks buying their products to stay in business.

I am in the group that believes that those never smokers that start vaping, even with nicotine, will find it much easier to give up the habit if they chose to do so, unlike those of us that vape to help us get off cigarettes. It wouldn't surprise me at all if some of the young folks you have helped to switch to vaping end up getting tired of messing with their new toys and still not smoke since I assume they were all fairly new to smoking if they smoked in the first place.

 

[Robino1]

I've seen it suggested that nicotine on its own will not produce dependency. There have been several research efforts that support this.

Cigarettes contain a cocktail of alkaloids, and when they are all taken together, as in cigarettes, they produce a physical dependency. Once that dependency is set in place then nicotine alone can act like an addictive substance. Vaping provides the substance, and satisfies the addiction.

However some people need the other alkaloids as well as nicotine to satisfy the addiction. Hence the use of WTA extracts can help those people.

I've seen biological explanations for all that, in terms of specific brain receptors, though I can't put my hand on it right now. It's been posted and discussed here.

I don't know if all that is correct, but the evidence seemed quite convincing to me when I read it. I'm fairly confident that the answer is more complex than yes or no. I certainly don't believe the answer can be derived from anecdotal reports. Hopefully there will be more research as time goes by.

Hit the nail squarely on the head.

 

[Robino1]

Nicotine Propaganda

To understand what is being said in the above article one first has to separate nicotine from smoking. I believe one that smokes or has smoked has had their brain chemistry scrambled by all the other chemicals in the smoke or dip or chew. I believe the companies that make smokes do add things that tend to make us more dependent on their products. Gotta keep folks buying their products to stay in business.

I am in the group that believes that those never smokers that start vaping, even with nicotine, will find it much easier to give up the habit if they chose to do so, unlike those of us that vape to help us get off cigarettes. It wouldn't surprise me at all if some of the young folks you have helped to switch to vaping end up getting tired of messing with their new toys and still not smoke since I assume they were all fairly new to smoking if they smoked in the first place.

And another that hits the nail on the head.

God I need new lines

 

[YKruss]

I just going to throw this video up here:

 

[Robino1]

I just going to throw this video up here:

This a fantastic video! How have I not seen this before?!?

He explains it beautifully and he is very knowledgeable.

 

[mcclintock]

The main thing that makes tobacco addictive is whole tobacco alkaloids along with the nicotine and these are NATURALLY OCCURRING ... yes I used ALLCAPS because this is not the first time I or others have stated this. I know we all like to whine about Evil Big Tobacco but the main thing their additives do is make the high nicotine levels more tolerable -- which does allow increasing one's intake of WTAs but again those are natural.

I'm not totally against the idea some of the other 7000 chemicals in tobacco smoke affect you, but as to which ones my tendency is to go with "all of them"

I don't entirely agree that pure nicotine isn't addictive, simply because some people claim caffeine isn't addictive when it's my oldest addiction by far.

WholeCig, now Liquid Leaf, manufactured a Whole Tobacco Alkaloid (WTA) liquid that contained all of the alkaloids from the tobacco leaf. Liquid leaf closed their online store earlier this year.

There was some research showing that some smokers who tried vaping were unable to completely quit analogs and that they were able to do so with WTA. IIRC, the studies were inconclusive but showed promise.

I still have a bottle of the original WholeCig flavorless liquid. I bought it a few years back with the intention of adding some to my DIY tobaccos, but never did -- it tastes like vaping lawn grass -- but it does have a different effect on me.

According to my email, they are moving although now overdue, website is still up.

 

[Robino1]

The main thing that makes tobacco addictive is whole tobacco alkaloids along with the nicotine and these are NATURALLY OCCURRING ... yes I used ALLCAPS because this is not the first time I or others have stated this. I know we all like to whine about Evil Big Tobacco but the main thing their additives do is make the high nicotine levels more tolerable -- which does allow increasing one's intake of WTAs but again those are natural.

I'm not totally against the idea some of the other 7000 chemicals in tobacco smoke affect you, but as to which ones my tendency is to go with "all of them"

I don't entirely agree that pure nicotine isn't addictive, simply because some people claim caffeine isn't addictive when it's my oldest addiction by far.



According to my email, they are moving although now overdue, website is still up.

You have caffeine dependency. Watch the video posted, please.

 

[CMD-Ky]

Is nicotine really addictive? I don't know but the hand to mouth movement in smoking and vaping certainly is.

 

[CMD-Ky]

A friend of mine tried Chantix and said it was horrrific. Stopped taking it. Anybody interested just google the side effects and testimonials.

I know two people who have used Chantix. One could be the poster girl for its use. The other had an experience similar to your friend. I will stay with my vaping.

 

[stols001]

You know, if Chantix were ANYTHING other than a quitting device, it would have been yanked from the market long ago. And, it's not about QUITTING either, it's just that it has a high fail rate, and when it comes to quitting cessation, just nobody cares. It's dreadful, and typical of how smokers are treated in this society.

Not to call myself the Mistress of Addiction or anything, but vaping is such a safer harm reduction device, I do believe that nic has some addictive qualities but that the way I'm using it now, I'm not worried about it.

I am still of the belief that BT did not release all its research YEARS after it was created, and they may have "chosen" nicotine as the culprit (besides tar) because they knew that if they reported harmful additives and issues with jacking around with tobacco, they'd be toast. But, they need(ed) to do it as if they didn't make nicotine the demonizing addictive ingredient, they'd be where they are now (but still winning, I might add). These guys know how to LIE and LIE and LIE-- I'm rather convinced my additive free tobacco AT LEAST had humectants in it, because it was easy to smoke (unlike e-cigs at first).

No one is going to get my nicotine, no one. Maybe I'll try reducing but I am in so no rush.... Especially given the newer information about nicotine. My brain likes it, it is harm reducing enough that unless my cardiologist says I'm in trouble, I'm unlikely to quit it. Quitting vaping at this point might be just as hard... But, I know it wouldn't be, due to the increased periods of time I can go without needing to VAPE or use nic replacement lozenges, I just sit through meetings, no problem. Not to say it would be EASY and certainly not thinking I will stop just now, but I do believe nicotine has a psychoactive effect, far less pronounced than cigarettes. Maybe they have a secret "addictive" ingredient(s) besides nicotine, for sure. My own experience was that adding some WTA juice from time to time helped me transition, so I do think the alkaloids play a role, just not the Biggest role, and I'm not sure I'll ever find out.

Anna

 

[Bunnykiller]

I would have to say no... I quit the gum and patches with no problem...

 

[Bunnykiller]

And on that subject... I believe, and frequently counsel new vapers, there's something in the hand-to-mouth motion itself, aside from any chemical dependencies, which is (IMHO, of course) why vaping sometimes succeeds for quitters where other methods have failed. If you didn't die from the Chantix, I mean. That would also stop you from smoking. Come to think, so does lung cancer

I had a close friend that was on Chantix.... He is no longer with us.... nasty medicine.

 

[AXIOM_1]

I had a close friend that was on Chantix.... He is no longer with us.... nasty medicine.

for real? Man, what a bummer! Yeah don't get me started about the subject of chantix