Let's Talk "Nicotine By Itself "....

I have to be honest the more research I do on all things smoking, the happier I am that I use ecigs (electronic cigarettes). I’ll do my best to keep this to the point & as always smoking of any kind is a health risk and should be done by adults 18 years of age & over. If you can quit “cold turkey” by all means quit smoking while you can. but if you’re like me & millions of smokers that need help to quit, be it nicotine gum, patches, lozenges or ecigs…….. Let’s talk nicotine by itself. Nicotine is the common denominator to all things smoking. It’s what addicts a smoker to cigarettes and it’s needed to help most smokers quit successfully. Since nicotine’s discovery in 1828 nearly 200 years ago, nicotine has gotten a bad rap due to its association with tobacco. For years it’s been thought nicotine & tobacco are one and the same, even today anti-smoking activist are still getting it wrong.

Nicotine is 1 of 4,000 ingredients found in cigarettes and despite its highly addictive traits there are far more dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes such as arsenic, lead, formaldehyde, nitrogen oxide, ammonia, hydrogen, cyanide, even urea the major component in urine is added for flavor, carbon monoxide & 43 known carcinogens. When a cigarette is lit, these 4,000 ingredients produce 200 more compound chemicals and most are directly linked to lung damage. The nicotine found in cigarettes is not the natural amount found in tobacco. Depending on which of the 70 species of tobacco plants including cross-bred strains, the amount of nicotine is approximately 0.6-3.0% of tobaccos drop weight. According to nightly news MSNBC and The Washington Post the level of nicotine in U.S. cigarettes has risen 10%  the past 6 years. There is no difference in nicotine content between Full flavor, Medium, Lights or Ultra Lights. No doubt, nicotine is addictive and has proven to be a beneficial drug used by US Tobacco Companies.

Nicotine is a natural alkaloid found in the tobacco plant and in small amounts in tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes and eggplant. Nicotine is highly addictive and most scientist agree it’s addictive trait is comparable, and possibly stronger than heroin or cocaine. Addiction of any kind is considered to be a disease and smokers top the list worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Smoking Statistics for 2002 around 15 billion cigarettes were purchased daily, which breaks down to 10 million cigarettes sold every minute. Since nicotine can only be ingested three ways inhalation, through the skin and swallowed, cigarettes and chewing tobacco are the most common. So common, it’s understandable why it’s so hard to vision nicotine as a standalone drug.

Nicotine by itself is no more dangerous than caffeine and takes 50mg to be lethal to humans. The average cigarette has 1.5mg but only .5mg is actually inhaled. Nicotine addiction is physical as well as psychological. It travels through the bloodstream and reaches the brain within 8 seconds. It acts as both a stimulant and a sedative. Have you ever noticed if you take short quick puffs off a cigarette you feel stimulated, ready to do whatever your mind is set to do? But if you take a long deep drag off a cigarette you feel calm and relaxed? When nicotine reaches the brain it causes the brain to release dopamine and other natural chemicals in the pleasure & feel good regions. Nicotine also increases concentration and memory even though the effects only last 5 minutes to an hour. This is way the average smoker uses 15 – 20 cigarettes in a 24 hour period on average to maintain its effects.

Nicotine alone does not cause cancer and in 2000 Stanford researchers lead by Dr. Scott Harkonen tried to prove that nicotine damages blood vessels and causes heart disease but found exactly the opposite, it prompts the growth of new blood vessels. Nicotine is being researched and used in various treatments. One of its effects is as an appetite suppressant and is being tested to fight obesity, the various treatments include Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s disease, ADHD, depression and schizophrenia. 82% of schizophrenics smoke in order to self-medicate with the short term effects of nicotine. Most importantly nicotine is used to help smokers fight against withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit smoking with Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) More than 90% of smokers trying to quit “cold turkey” fail and most relapse within the first week. NRT’s help by taking the edge off quitting by slowly decreasing the body’s need for nicotine and easing the symptoms of withdrawal, such as cravings, irritability, increased appetite, problems sleeping and unable to focus or pay attention. These symptoms normally peak the first few days and can last as long as a few months. Nicotine Replacement Therapy is nicotine doses in the form of gum, patches, lozenges or an inhaler. (Including ecigs) For me, it was important to know the effects of nicotine by itself so I’d know which NRT would work best for me.

If you’re a smoker trying to quit, the use of a NRT can prove to be helpful and effective despite a few side effects. Quitting period will cause you to spit up a little phlegm the first week or so, don’t worry it’s just your body clearing the lungs. The most common side effects are upset stomach, nausea, heart burn, hiccups, excessive gas & problems sleeping. Depending on which NRT is used for instance patches may cause a rash or irritation on the skin, gum may cause soreness of the jaw from chewing and inhalers or electronic cigarettes may cause a scratchy throat. No matter which NRT you choose, you will find quitting successfully gratifying and beneficial to you and your health. Within 20 minutes of quitting blood pressure will drop. In 8 hours the level of carbon monoxide in the blood drops to normal, 48 hours the regrowth of nerve endings commences and the senses of smell & taste are enhanced. One to nine months after quitting the body will show a decrease in fatigue, coughing, shortness of breath and sinus congestion. The tiny little hair like cells that filter breathing air called “cilia” will regrow in the lungs. After five years the chances of lung cancer is decreased by 50% and fifteen years the chances of heart or lung disease is no different than a non-smoker.

Bottom line, nicotine by itself is no more harmful than caffeine. For centuries nicotine has been directly linked with tobacco and smoking with all the tar and thousands of life threatening chemicals that go with it. Nicotine’s main fault has been its power of addiction and how that addiction was spread with cigarettes. Now in the 21^st Century nicotine has the ability to stand alone on its own merits and so far it is nowhere near as dangerous as its been portrayed. I’m pretty sure in the near future we’ll find nicotine without the tobacco to be on the front lines fighting against diseases and mental illnesses. I find it ironic that the drug that caused my addiction to cigarettes, is the drug that is freed me. Do the research, choose a NRT and free yourself. It’s only to late if your six feet under. I’m Just Say’in …