5 ms·
> if nicotine didn't have the specter of cigarettes hanging behind it, I'd imagine it could be quite a large market. It drives me a little bit crazy that peopl
by exolymph 4y ago
> if nicotine didn't have the specter of cigarettes hanging behind it, I'd imagine it could be quite a large market.
It drives me a little bit crazy that people think nicotine itself is what's harmful about cigarettes. The myth is slowly eroding but the common knowledge about nicotine — aside from the reality that it is addictive — remains directionally wrong (as common knowledge often is).
- jasonmclaren 4y agoCan you elaborate? My understanding is that nicotine raises blood pressure, which is a big part of what's harmful about cigarettes.
- wyre 4y agoWhat’s harmful is the inhalation of the thousands of chemicals into your lungs from a burning cigarette. Nicotine could be considered bad because its addictive qualities make smoking happen more frequently, but rising blood pressure is a small piece.
- rrrrrrrrrrrryan 4y agoNicotine isn't good for you by any means, but lung cancer is the main reason cigarettes are uniquely harmful. It's a really rough way to go.
- exolymph 4y agoNicotine may be mildly harmful, but in a similar ambiguous you-win-some-you-lose-some way to caffeine: https://www.gwern.net/Nicotine https://www.gwern.net/Nicotine
- trehalose 4y agoWell, nicotine kind of is one of the most harmful things about cigarettes. During the curing and processing of tobacco leaves, nicotine and other alkaloids partially react with nitrate to form nitrosamines ("Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines" or "TSNAs"), that contribute greatly to tobacco's carcinogenicity. They're not the only carcinogens in tobacco / tobacco smoke, of course, but they are important. (This is, afaik, not relevant for pure nicotine.)