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Q: How Toxic is Nicotine.....
Q: How Addictive is Nicotine
Q: How Toxic is Nicotine.....
Q: How Addictive is Nicotine
An Exercise in Ambiguity
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#1) Zero in consumer-safe dosage.
#2) That depends... User-dependent based on genetics only. I watched a very informative, scientific and educational, TV show covering this that was independent of any bias and successfully convinced me. However, the population carrying the gene is large. It, possibly, explains one of the reasons some have a comparatively easier time putting down smokes. The same genetic factor applies to other substances also to which some become addicted and others not. I am excluding any "addictive" personality traits as they're not true physical addictions but mental obsessions.
#2) That depends... User-dependent based on genetics only. I watched a very informative, scientific and educational, TV show covering this that was independent of any bias and successfully convinced me. However, the population carrying the gene is large. It, possibly, explains one of the reasons some have a comparatively easier time putting down smokes. The same genetic factor applies to other substances also to which some become addicted and others not. I am excluding any "addictive" personality traits as they're not true physical addictions but mental obsessions.
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For me, there's no debate on whether nicotine is toxic. I think there's ample evidence that nicotine can be lethal in relatively modest quantities (see its historical use as a pesticide).
That being said, most things can kill you if taken in sufficient dose, and the most innocuous things can be addictive (such as kittens). I think what we really need is a redefinition of addiction to emphasize the "adverse consequences" part.
In particular, I think one can be dependent on nicotine, without being addicted to it, as in enjoy the benefits of the substance while not experiencing any adverse consequences such as thru
for example.
Beyond that, nicotine's effects on the pleasure centers of the central nervous system (involved in addiction) are well documented...
That being said, most things can kill you if taken in sufficient dose, and the most innocuous things can be addictive (such as kittens). I think what we really need is a redefinition of addiction to emphasize the "adverse consequences" part.
Wikipedia said:
In particular, I think one can be dependent on nicotine, without being addicted to it, as in enjoy the benefits of the substance while not experiencing any adverse consequences such as thru
for example.Beyond that, nicotine's effects on the pleasure centers of the central nervous system (involved in addiction) are well documented...
Quantity is only one part of the "is it toxic?" equation. Concentration is another part. Insecticide contains about 40% nicotine, whereas e-liquid typically contains from 0.6% to less than 4%. To convert to percent from mg/ml, take the mg number and move the decimal one space to the left. So 6 mg/ml would be 0.6%, 12 mg/ml would be 1.2%, 24 mg/ml would be at 2.4% concentration, etc.
Another part is route of ingestion.
I once swallowed a small chunk of a 4 mg Commit lozenge (now they are called Nicorette). Within 30 minutes the room was spinning, and my stomach was heaving. I ended up expelling all the nicotine in my system and I was fine.
On the other hand, adults have manage to commit suicide by applying multiple nicotine patches to their body.
There was a study that looked at 27 years of annual reports from the Poison Control Centers. They found only one pediatric fatality during that time. A toddler had eaten cigarettes (or cigarette butts). The case was confounded by the presence of Valium in the child's system. It could be that the Valium interfered with the body's natural defense mechanism of losing your lunch.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230011001553
Sofuoglu and LeSage1 noted, "Although nicotine is considered to be the key ingredient responsible for tobacco addiction, increasing evidence suggests that other compounds in tobacco or smoke are either reinforcing in their own right or can enhance the reinforcing effects of nicotine" The lack of these compounds may help to explain why there have been no reports of nicotine-naive people becoming addicted to pharmaceutical nicotine products and progressing to smoking cigarettes, and why this is unlikely to occur with e-cigarettes.
Sofuoglu M, LeSage MG. The reinforcement threshold for nicotine as a target for tobacco control. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012 Sep 1;125(1-2):1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.04.023. Epub 2012 May 21. The Reinforcement Threshold for Nicotine as a Target for Tobacco Control
Another part is route of ingestion.
I once swallowed a small chunk of a 4 mg Commit lozenge (now they are called Nicorette). Within 30 minutes the room was spinning, and my stomach was heaving. I ended up expelling all the nicotine in my system and I was fine.
On the other hand, adults have manage to commit suicide by applying multiple nicotine patches to their body.
There was a study that looked at 27 years of annual reports from the Poison Control Centers. They found only one pediatric fatality during that time. A toddler had eaten cigarettes (or cigarette butts). The case was confounded by the presence of Valium in the child's system. It could be that the Valium interfered with the body's natural defense mechanism of losing your lunch.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230011001553
Sofuoglu and LeSage1 noted, "Although nicotine is considered to be the key ingredient responsible for tobacco addiction, increasing evidence suggests that other compounds in tobacco or smoke are either reinforcing in their own right or can enhance the reinforcing effects of nicotine" The lack of these compounds may help to explain why there have been no reports of nicotine-naive people becoming addicted to pharmaceutical nicotine products and progressing to smoking cigarettes, and why this is unlikely to occur with e-cigarettes.
Sofuoglu M, LeSage MG. The reinforcement threshold for nicotine as a target for tobacco control. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012 Sep 1;125(1-2):1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.04.023. Epub 2012 May 21. The Reinforcement Threshold for Nicotine as a Target for Tobacco Control
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1. Don't know for sure but since I'm addicted I don't really care so long as I get my fix. (Toxic enough that I'm not really that cavalier about it) 
2. I heard that the rate of addiction is upwards of 60% whereas an opiate that starts with an "h" was at 30%. Just what I heard.
2. I heard that the rate of addiction is upwards of 60% whereas an opiate that starts with an "h" was at 30%. Just what I heard.
The argument "nicotine is highly addictive" might be applicable if we are talking about whether or not to permit sales to youth, but entirely a moot point if we are talking about switching from smoking to a source of nicotine that eliminates about 99% of the health risks.
And the argument "nicotine is a deadly poison" applies if you are talking about safety warnings such as "keep out of the reach of children and pets" but it is a moot point if you are talking about switching from smoking to vaping, because both smokers and vapers self-titrate nicotine intake based on the messages their bodies are sending them. I'm feeling a little groggy, so I'll take a puff. I'm starting to feel a little dizzy, so I'll put down my PV for a while.
When was the last time you heard of a smoker or a vaper being carted away due to overdosing on nicotine?
Too bad users of other drugs don't have the self-regulation advantage that nicotine users have. Probably it's because drugs that are soporific (e.g. alcohol, Harrow-inn) tend to make you out of touch with what's happening with your body.
And the argument "nicotine is a deadly poison" applies if you are talking about safety warnings such as "keep out of the reach of children and pets" but it is a moot point if you are talking about switching from smoking to vaping, because both smokers and vapers self-titrate nicotine intake based on the messages their bodies are sending them. I'm feeling a little groggy, so I'll take a puff. I'm starting to feel a little dizzy, so I'll put down my PV for a while.
When was the last time you heard of a smoker or a vaper being carted away due to overdosing on nicotine?
Too bad users of other drugs don't have the self-regulation advantage that nicotine users have. Probably it's because drugs that are soporific (e.g. alcohol, Harrow-inn) tend to make you out of touch with what's happening with your body.
Apparently it would take a lot less nicotine to kill Stanton Glantz.
German researchers, led by Tobias Schripp were surprised when they were unable to find any nicotine in the 8-cubic meter chamber being used for the first of their experiments, measuring the chemical content of exhaled vapor. That surprised them, so then they had subjects exhale directly into a 10L glass container. [An online calculator tells me that 10L takes up about 0.01 cubic meters] They then were able to measure 0.2 micrograms of nicotine per puff. For those who, like me, are metric-challenged, that works out to 0.0002 mg of nicotine.
So in order to be exposed to all 0.0002 mg of nicotine, Glantz would have had to lock lips with a vaper and inhale deeply as she (or he, I guess) was exhaling.
Since he claims that exhaled vapor is poisonous, I must assume that he has tried this experiment and needed emergency medical care.
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Why did you neglect to add the question: How much does nicotine help treat millions of people?
Treat millions ?, for what ?
The question is there, what is the 'public perception' of Nicotine, is it justified?, is it way out of kilter?.
Alzheimers, dementia, Crohn's Disease and mental illness, just to name a few. Since you asked the question, I just assumed you had done the research.
We don't have to answer these questions! Big Pharma apparently is now answering them for us!
LMAO, thanks, now I have to clean my keyboard. I could just see him getting physically harmed while trying to lip lock a vapor.
LMAO, thanks, now I have to clean my keyboard. I could just see him getting physically harmed while trying to lip lock a vapor.
So 2nd hand exposure for Glantz would actually be risky in this case. LOL. Maybe he can write a 'study' about that.
To expand a little, research has been conducted using nicotine patches or even IV nicotine and showed improvements in the following disorders: Attention Deficit Disorder, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Turettes's Syndrome, and side-effects from anti-psychotic medication.
Just found another one, thanks to the Smoker's Angel, James Dunworth. "This study demonstrates that nicotine stimulates recovery from brain damage and the results are discussed in relation to neural mechanisms and potential applications."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11165334
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