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> all the tobacco companies did was shift their business into providing alternatives to cigarettes. But they're still made from nicotine. Isn't this okay? Aski

> all the tobacco companies did was shift their business into providing alternatives to cigarettes. But they're still made from nicotine. Isn't this okay? Asking genuinely -- I haven't followed this one way or the other. But my understanding was that the health problems were mostly caused by the smoke. Does nicotine itself cause problems when delivered via gum or vape or whatever? Certainly the current ingestion methods make it easier on those of us standing around not consuming them, compared to clouds of smoke. Which is a plus for me.

svachalek 5y ago
Vaping is less bad for you than inhaling the big cloud of carcinogens that is cigarette smoke. But even if you discount the direct effects of addiction, which is horrible, there are plenty of other indications nicotine itself is bad for you.
- jacobolus 5y ago
  Nicotine is a stimulant, similar to other stimulants such as caffeine. The addictiveness in smoking apparently comes from (1) high dose absorbed rapidly, and (2) combination with other chemicals in tobacco and tobacco products. Nicotine addiction per se (or caffeine addiction) can be harmful to people, but the scale of harm is orders of magnitude away from the harms of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. In small doses and in moderation, nicotine alone (e.g. taken as patch or gum) can be an effective medication, is not especially addictive, and has relatively mild side effects. https://www.gwern.net/Nicotine https://www.gwern.net/Nicotine Side effects of vaping should be studied more carefully (and the contents of vape fluid should be regulated): it is dramatically less harmful than smoking but plausibly still harmful. A massive quick dose of some stimulant (e.g. downing several espresso shots in a row) is not the most effective, and breathing stuff other than air is generally a bad idea.
dreamcompiler 5y ago
If vaping was pure nicotine its health effects would be limited (i.e. much less dangerous than tobacco smoke). Unfortunately most vape devices deliver a witches brew of nasty chemicals (besides nicotine) added for flavor and increased addiction potential just like cigarettes did. Many of said chemicals have less well-studied health effects than those in tobacco.
- b3morales 5y ago
  Good point, thanks.
- soylentcola 5y ago
  Typically they contain nicotine suspension and a small percentage of flavorings suspended in glycerin. It's basically the food-grade version of a fog machine at a night club (works the same way by heating a similar base to produce a mist). I quit smoking years ago by using a vaporizer and quickly learned to mix my own liquid in order to lower costs, keep track of what was in it, and get lower nicotine than what was available in most commercial stuff at the time. Not claiming it's as healthy as breathing fresh mountain air, but it's hardly some innately toxic "witches brew" of unknown compounds. Made a huge difference in my health and I haven't smoked in 7 or 8 years now. Sadly, despite the lengths many reputable producers of vape liquid went to regarding ingredients and preparation, many have been put out of business by harsher restrictions than those on actual smoking tobacco.
- mcguire 5y ago
  "Many of said chemicals have less well-studied health effects than those in tobacco." This is about the only known-to-be-true statement in that paragraph. Pure nicotine is dangerous, and I see someone else has discussed the "witches brew".
  - dreamcompiler 5y ago
    I never said it wasn't dangerous; I said it was "much less dangerous than tobacco smoke." If you have evidence that inhaling e.g. 1 mg of pure nicotine 10x per day for 20 years is more dangerous than smoking 10 tobacco cigarettes per day for 20 years, please cite it.
hedgehog 5y ago
Heart disease.

svachalek 5y ago

Vaping is less bad for you than inhaling the big cloud of carcinogens that is cigarette smoke. But even if you discount the direct effects of addiction, which is horrible, there are plenty of other indications nicotine itself is bad for you.

jacobolus 5y ago
Nicotine is a stimulant, similar to other stimulants such as caffeine. The addictiveness in smoking apparently comes from (1) high dose absorbed rapidly, and (2) combination with other chemicals in tobacco and tobacco products. Nicotine addiction per se (or caffeine addiction) can be harmful to people, but the scale of harm is orders of magnitude away from the harms of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. In small doses and in moderation, nicotine alone (e.g. taken as patch or gum) can be an effective medication, is not especially addictive, and has relatively mild side effects. https://www.gwern.net/Nicotine https://www.gwern.net/Nicotine Side effects of vaping should be studied more carefully (and the contents of vape fluid should be regulated): it is dramatically less harmful than smoking but plausibly still harmful. A massive quick dose of some stimulant (e.g. downing several espresso shots in a row) is not the most effective, and breathing stuff other than air is generally a bad idea.

dreamcompiler 5y ago

If vaping was pure nicotine its health effects would be limited (i.e. much less dangerous than tobacco smoke). Unfortunately most vape devices deliver a witches brew of nasty chemicals (besides nicotine) added for flavor and increased addiction potential just like cigarettes did. Many of said chemicals have less well-studied health effects than those in tobacco.

b3morales 5y ago
Good point, thanks.
soylentcola 5y ago
Typically they contain nicotine suspension and a small percentage of flavorings suspended in glycerin. It's basically the food-grade version of a fog machine at a night club (works the same way by heating a similar base to produce a mist). I quit smoking years ago by using a vaporizer and quickly learned to mix my own liquid in order to lower costs, keep track of what was in it, and get lower nicotine than what was available in most commercial stuff at the time. Not claiming it's as healthy as breathing fresh mountain air, but it's hardly some innately toxic "witches brew" of unknown compounds. Made a huge difference in my health and I haven't smoked in 7 or 8 years now. Sadly, despite the lengths many reputable producers of vape liquid went to regarding ingredients and preparation, many have been put out of business by harsher restrictions than those on actual smoking tobacco.
mcguire 5y ago
"Many of said chemicals have less well-studied health effects than those in tobacco." This is about the only known-to-be-true statement in that paragraph. Pure nicotine is dangerous, and I see someone else has discussed the "witches brew".
- dreamcompiler 5y ago
  I never said it wasn't dangerous; I said it was "much less dangerous than tobacco smoke." If you have evidence that inhaling e.g. 1 mg of pure nicotine 10x per day for 20 years is more dangerous than smoking 10 tobacco cigarettes per day for 20 years, please cite it.

hedgehog 5y ago

Heart disease.