Nicotine and Addiction

[sardonicus87]

I don't know whether or not it is true, but I read somewhere once that nicotine by itself is potentially no more addictive than caffeine. It's only when an MAOI is administered alongside the nicotine that it becomes so addictive. And plain, unadulterated tobacco does contain natural MAOIs that are released and absorbed through smoking (like nornicotine, harman, norharman and others). The studies are limited though, a quick search on Google pulled one up: Monoamine oxidase inhibition dramatically increases the motivation to self-administer nicotine in rats - PubMed - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16177026/

Make of that what you will, but bear in mind that it was a trial with rats and not all animal trials translate to humans. It's also one small study, hardly enough to constitute fact. Veracity of pure nicotine's addictive properties or lack thereof is questionable.

That said, there's a lot more to addiction, and particular nicotine or tobacco addiction, than just that. It also depends on a genetic propensity to addiction, method and rate of delivery, a slew of other factors. And that's just speaking purely of biological dependence/addiction, not even getting into psychological addiction.

I'm hesitant to say that nicotine by itself is not addictive or not very addictive. I'm not a doctor and I don't know how much or what research there is into various aspects of this.

In my own experience as a cigarette smoker (approximately 1 pack per day), I can say I am addicted myself. At one point, I tried to switch to vaping but even high dose juice didn't do it for me, still craved cigarettes. Nicotine patches help with, but do not eliminate, cravings. When I am bored with nothing to do, I do tend to smoke more. However, even with something highly engaging and distracting, eventually a craving will start gnawing and growing and the longer I put it off, the more irritable I will become. I have a definite physical dependence specifically on tobacco consumption. And although the delivery is in lower but more prolonged dosages, smoking a pipe satisfies my craving and I don't need a cigarette after. I get from a pipe what I fail to get from various cigarette/nicotine replacement options that exist.

 

[warren]

One should, when weighing the risk v. reward, keep in mind that carcinogens are not a problem until the tobacco is set afire. And that nicotine is highly addictive, for some more so than others. Smoking anything is a distinctly personal and selfish decision but, a thinking person should measure the risk against the reward before starting. But, I'm a firm believer that a wee vice is good for the soul.

 

[Chasing Embers]

But, I'm a firm believer that a wee vice is good for the soul.

They keep us sane.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

My 24 year old nephew came by the other day. He never used tobacco in anyway.. He pulled out a little robot box and blew a cloud of vapor, I guess it was, across my living room.. I asked him when he started with that, and offered him a cigarette. I said go ahead and at least try the real thing first. Haha

Then he dropped confusion bomb on me.. He said there was no nicotine in it. I said ohh, your smoking weed? No he says.. It's just cotton candy flavoring.

Good kid, not a dummy.. He manages a clothing store. Never smoked, but he takes time out of his day to have a pretend smoke break.. just because it taste like cotton candy. These new young men are something different..

Then my wife tell's me my stepson has done this at times.. Again, not a dummy.. a very successful fella. 23 years old.

I give up.. I damn sure do.

 

[Brendan]

Nicotine-less Vape?

That boy ain't right..


I'm just kidding funkenhausen but I'm with you, I don't understand these kids and I'm only 35 for Christ's sake.

Oh well, more pipe tobacco for us.

Life's too short not to have a vice and I think nicotine is the least of our worries.

Well not the least but you get the idea.

 

[TheWhale13]

My 24 year old nephew came by the other day. He never used tobacco in anyway.. He pulled out a little robot box and blew a cloud of vapor, I guess it was, across my living room.. I asked him when he started with that, and offered him a cigarette. I said go ahead and at least try the real thing first. Haha

Then he dropped confusion bomb on me.. He said there was no nicotine in it. I said ohh, your smoking weed? No he says.. It's just cotton candy flavoring.

Good kid, not a dummy.. He manages a clothing store. Never smoked, but he takes time out of his day to have a pretend smoke break.. just because it taste like cotton candy. These new young men are something different..

Then my wife tell's me my stepson has done this at times.. Again, not a dummy.. a very successful fella. 23 years old.

I give up.. I damn sure do.

Genius.

 

[aspiring_sage]

I'm hesitant to say that nicotine by itself is not addictive or not very addictive.

Even if you could say that, it doesn't mean anything since smoking is more complicated than nicotine.

One should, when weighing the risk v. reward, keep in mind that carcinogens are not a problem until the tobacco is set afire.

I hear that smokeless tobacco is linked to cancers as well.

But, I'm a firm believer that a wee vice is good for the soul.

I'm only just starting to learn how true this is.

 

[runscott]

I like the idea of saying to yourself: "I'm not doing this unless I want to." Sometimes I do too much of one of my vices, don't feel good that evening or the next morning, then start up again...just because.
The only addiction I've ever felt was to caffeine - it wasn't a craving for it;rather, misery when evening came and I had forgotten to drink a pot of coffee (the 12-cup pot).

 

[CallMeSangy]

I say just do it if it hurts no one. Just about everything can give cancer at some chance now adays. Drink if you're not an alcoholic. Eat if you're not a morbidly obese diabetic. There's no shame in enjoying life. If the people around you are ok, and so are you, why not?

 

[Andriko]

I managed to get addicted to marijuana when I was a teenager (don't listen to the BS that it's not addictive), which would be my point of comparison to tobacco, and I would say that cigarettes and tobacco are no where near as addictive as they are made out to be. I had to work hard and smoke regularly for many years before I was in anyway 'addicted' to nicotine, and even then I had my brand of cigarettes and didn't want to smoke anything else, and over the years went from a pack a day to about 5 cigarettes a day or less without too many problems.

I don't doubt that I have some kind of addiction - about 1pm a craving kicks in. But I also don't doubt that if I wanted to just give it all up I could. The fact is I don't, I enjoy it, and I'd only really call something an addiction when you keep doing it even though you don't want to.

 

[aspiring_sage]

What really matters to me is the actual destructive power of the addiction.

78% of statistics quoted are made up on the spot: More than 99% of people have some sort of vice/crutch/distraction/passtime. The ability to replace one with another keeps me from fearing too much.

One of the reasons I started smoking because YouTube wants my attention for a minute, then the rest of my life, and doesn't let go easily. The cell phone became too unsafe when I need a break from work. The pipe only wants an hour.
Technology would take my life (maybe not shorten it, but still use it up). This seems like a good trade, if I can make it a trade. A break with a pipe, rather than a break with some social media, seems less risky for the good of my self, job, and family.

*I do not believe that pipe smoking is 100% safe, only that I feel its risk and impact on my life objectives is lower than an alternative habit/addiction.

 

[Andriko]

aspiring_sage makes a good point about social media addiction. It is very real, and very destructive - just look at the spike in teen depression since the iPhone first came out.

 

[aspiring_sage]

aspiring_sage makes a good point about social media addiction. It is very real, and very destructive - just look at the spike in teen depression since the iPhone first came out.

Before the computer (or phone), it was TV.
I'm just weak to screens. For me, they're too easy to run to when things get stressful and too hard to disconnect from.

 

[vosBghos]

I would gladly recommend most to smoke a pipe or cigar, or any tobacco product that hasn't been chemically tampered with. The thing about vape and cigarettes is the crap that gets stuffed in there.

We all know there is a potential for ill effects when smoking, but I will never try either a cig or vape for this tampering alone. I can easily live the rest of my life without a pipe or cigar. I could not say the same thing about other tobacco or nicotine based product. Anything that has you getting up involuntarily every few hours, besides using the restroom, isn't something you should ever do. Especially if it has been tampered with.

very educational thank you,

 

[ethicsminer]

I've stopped the pipe for a few months at a time with relative ease and little drawback. I think the fact is there is little to no "convenience factor" like cigarettes or dip. So if I don't have time to sit down and enjoy a pipe, it's not happening. I smoke a few times a week now and still don't really have a craving per se - just something to enjoy while relaxing.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Nicotine is my friend. It keeps me from killing some people that aggravate me ?.

So, how did you kill the others that aggravated you??
Pro style, small caliber to the back of the head? Poison? Simulated accident? Hit and run?

You can tell I watch a lot of murder mysteries. .....

 

[vosBghos]

I began smoking cigs at 10 or 11. Was sent up river for a time when I was 15 there was no smoking at this place military bootcamp style, up at 5 am making hospital corners on the beds and chopping wood by 5:45. After 31 days of that my time was up and my mom bummed me one hers smokes after about ten minutes in the car. Fast forward 20 odd years of a pack a day habit. I read Alan Carr's "easy way to quit smoking" the book hypnotized me and I quit smoking for 6 years straight.

Only problem, I quit reading, writing, drawing, painting, making music. I lost interest in all creative and intellectual desires and pastimes. I had a million half fledged musical ideas and decided it was time to finish something after close to 7 years with no new records out.

I got a white board and some markers and a pack of camel straights and began compiling and editing like a fiend.
I began devouring books again. Drawing cartoons for my kids. Taking a new intimate interest in my wife.

Since going back on nicotine I feel awake again. I traded in the pesky cigs for a collection of briars and cobs and I'll never go back to cigs, but I gots to have my vitamin N.

 

[Peter Turbo]

I frequently take breaks from pipe smoking, just got off a two week break actually. I have a harder time quitting cannabis than tobacco, just ran out of the green stuff and I'm dying for a smoke. I quit cigs in 2014 and never looked back. Vaping, lol.

 

[FLDRD]

So, how did you kill the others that aggravated you??
Pro style, small caliber to the back of the head? Poison? Simulated accident? Hit and run?

You can tell I watch a lot of murder mysteries. .....

Dirty deeds used to be done dirt cheap.

Now with inflation they've sky-rocketed and dirty deeds are harder to get done.

 

[ray47]

So, how did you kill the others that aggravated you??
Pro style, small caliber to the back of the head? Poison? Simulated accident? Hit and run?

You can tell I watch a lot of murder mysteries. .....

BOREDOM.