They aren't, but they are usually in the same price range as cigarettes, but then what do I so with my hands while chewing that piece of gum?
Do I get the same amount of nicotine from it as from a cigarette? Probably not. It's also not the nicotine causing the coughing, it's the tar that accumulates in the lungs
It is problematic. Asides the physical habits of smoking, Mr pigeonwizard alludes to dosage and route. Marijuana can be eaten, smoked as a cigarette, through a bong etc. active compounds like THC can be extracted and taken through skin etc. the thing is that route of administration matters. Even if the total dose is the same, the absorbed dose of a drug can differ, but even if the absorbed dose is the same, different routes of absorption generally produce a different sensation.
Inhalation tends to be a relatively direct route to the blood, compounds enter the lungs and transfuse between the lungs and circulatory system. This not only produces a more immediate effect than slower pathways, but as most people who drink can relate, drinking the same amount of alcohol in a single drink vs. over several hours will produce different feelings. So a primary reason is related to habit, strong addictions tend to link strongly to habits. You are used to sights, smells, tastes, actions after many
reputations. This is where concepts like “triggers” for addictive behaviors come from- where people can be more likely to desire to perform a behavior at a certain time or place or after certain events etc.
but another reason gums and other means can be aids that people don’t use are that they have their own issues. For example- why don’t smokers chew tobacco to avoid lung issues? Some people do use chewing products for this reason but…
You are just shuffling percentages. You reduce risk for lung cancer or respiratory issues but you drastically increase risks like oral cancers and cancers of the digestive system, ulcers, tooth decay or other issues. Gums are arguably safer than “chew” but still carry warnings of dental issues, oral issues, increased risks of infection, oral and digestive (including throat) cancers, dry mouth and other unpleasant potential effects.
I have also been told that the guns taste horrible- which one would assume so do cigarettes! But like many things, horrible can be an acquired taste. Smokers often prefer certain brands for their specific tastes, and dislike others. So it seems silly but among all the other reasons, people may avoid gums and lozenges because they cannot stand the taste. Nicotine also has certain chemical properties. It is an Alkali poison. Patches and oral products can cause irritation of tissues in contact.
Not that cigarettes don’t- but it is a different case. The level of prolonged tissue contact with the drug tends to be different. Smokers may “feel” effects of irritation in their lungs and airways but the way nerves and such work in those tissues and the structures are different than skin or the mouth. So those types of aids have several things that can make them difficult to use and stick with through what can be lengthy or multiple attempts to quit. Their dosage and release are more tapered to
Help regulate the bodies nicotine levels which along with things we discussed on route specific dosage and response, means that while they can be of aid in managing withdrawal they do not “replace” cigarettes- anything that “replaces” cigarettes doesn’t break the chemical dependency or addiction- it would merely offer a substitute. If guns worked the same as cigarettes you might quit smoking but just be addicted to the gum for life. While smoke inhalation or tars and other chemicals from nicotine products are health hazards, nicotine itself is toxic at a cellular level. Beyond that its effects are stimulant in nature. Meaning that health issues like heart problems are still a danger regardless of how you take in nicotine. Part of the response to nicotine involves constriction of blood vessels, vessel plaque and hardening. So circulatory issues, stroke, etc. and related risks aren’t avoided either with nicotine replacement.
Statistically speaking- while there is always room for interpretation in data- it can be easily argued that such aids do not offer any, or do not represent a significant- increase in long term cessation of smoking across the general public. A major barrier to quitting a drug as strongly addicting as nicotine is withdrawal. Most will report it to suck. Physical symptoms like pain and fatigue as well as potential weight gain often come with it, poor sleep, temperature deregulation, headaches, sweating etc. and psychologically short temper, feelings of loss, depression, forgetfulness and “foggy mind” poor coordination etc. are common. The catch is that most people cannot ask the world and their lives to hold or be extra nice to them while they quit and they still must drive to work, deal with coworkers, interact with kids and family and perform complex tasks which withdrawal may impair their performance or cause them to act out.
These fears or experiences can hamper quitting or attempting to quit. Not wanting to yell at the kids, being afraid you’ll tell off your boss or start a fight with someone in public, that you won’t be able to focus or do the things you need to do at work or in daily life while you experience withdrawal.
If one does manage to quit through withdrawal, most people report that while cravings for the drug or sensations become less intense or less frequent that they seldom vanish and can last through life. Relapse is always possible and statistically likely in most strong addictions, meaning that gum can help with withdrawal symptoms but doesn’t offer a long term solution.
In fact- many experts question the effectiveness or wisdom of replacement therapy at all. Much like strategies such as “tapering” where one makes an effort to reduce their smoking until one is no longer smoking at all, many see these measures as simply making withdrawal last longer. Each time you use the drug the pathways are reinforced and even though you might use less or have less in your system, you still are feeding the addiction. More over, the extreme relief one might feel from taking the drug after prolonged abstinence and especially while in the throes of withdrawal can reinforce the conscious and subconscious perceptions that the drug makes you feel good and not having it is bad.
The only thing that is fairly certain in long term quitting is that commitment and will power seem to be needed in extremes. To that end, many argue that those using reduction or replacement strategies are at a disadvantage as they are not fully mentally prepared for quitting. I will not comment in support of this view and will instead say that I believe it is more complex. What tends to work best for any person is… what works best for them. Quitting a strong addiction generally requires a tailored program to an individual. Some smokers will see the highest success “cold Turkey” while others might quite by smoking less and less over time or others might vape or use gum of patches. The pathology of the addiction can vary greatly between people as can what factors most strongly draw them to use or trigger use. The percentage of successful quitters is very bad overall.
When examining each method individually we see relatively low success rates between methods and fairly similar percentages among most methods that would be seriously considered by a specialist provider. That isn’t to say these tools are useless or quitting is hopeless. It just means that was h person needs to find the combination of motivations and preparation and methods that works for them.
To the earlier point, for most people trying to quit life marches on, but some have the ability to control their environment through rehab. They may be able to attempt to quit without having to worry about working, they may be able to go to a rehab facility that removes most or all their worries and commitments while trying to quit and goes to lengths to create a calming and distracting environment without triggers. This isn’t perfect either as one must eventually return to life and face the stresses and triggers and familiar.
This is why it generally isn’t effective to simply lock someone..
.. in a room for three days or so. Nicotine only takes about 72 hours to leave the system. Meaning that any smoker who can go that long without smoking is no longer directly under the effects of the drug. So why aren’t they “cured” of addiction? Well- long term use of many drugs like nicotine tends to change the way transmitters in the brain and body function. That’s one of the major physical factors of addiction and withdrawal. When you use a drug it tends to mimic or stimulate production of chemicals in the body/brain that trigger responses. You feel a “high” because the level of these chemicals generally exceeds what the body naturally does or can produce. Through prolonged use the levels of the chemical remain high. The body and brain have self regulation. The brain will generally reduce the bodies production of the chemicals that are detected to be in excess.
When you stop taking the drug the production doesn’t resume right away generally, and it may never return to the natural
Levels it was before you began using. Even if it does return to the full natural levels, you will have become used to your general levels being much higher than natural and so what is normal will feel like you are missing something. It takes time for the brain to adapt and it may never fully adapt to being in a state of perpetual loss.
Tl:Dr and conclusion- there’s a lot to it but to keep it short and simple- why do people eat unhealthy food instead of a nice balanced kale bowl? Why do some people prefer soda over water or flavored water?
If you were dumped by the love of your life, even if they weren’t healthy for you, would you be able to so easily replace them with any other person who could provide some vague analog to the same benefits you got from that person? You’d likely be averse if you’d been living together for years to changing your routines and thinking about how your old partner made you feel much better than this new one and so forth. They aren’t perfect analogies but…
A person has no idea what it feels like to be addicted to crack cocaine if they’ve never been there. You can describe some things but if you’ve never been shot at you don’t know what that is like- you can imagine what you think or what you can relate to that might seem similar. The best way to quit smoking is to never start.
Some people it’s too late to never start so they just have to find what works for them. Someone who doesn’t know first hand addiction can’t know. Even if you know one addiction, addictions share some similarities but an alcohol or gambling addict and a smoker can relate and have common grounds but it’s all different. Even my examples above about healthy food or lost love- some people have no idea what those examples feel like. But whatever that thing is- we all have some relatable behavior most likely where we can find some understanding how similar doesn’t always do the trick.
Do I get the same amount of nicotine from it as from a cigarette? Probably not. It's also not the nicotine causing the coughing, it's the tar that accumulates in the lungs
Inhalation tends to be a relatively direct route to the blood, compounds enter the lungs and transfuse between the lungs and circulatory system. This not only produces a more immediate effect than slower pathways, but as most people who drink can relate, drinking the same amount of alcohol in a single drink vs. over several hours will produce different feelings. So a primary reason is related to habit, strong addictions tend to link strongly to habits. You are used to sights, smells, tastes, actions after many
but another reason gums and other means can be aids that people don’t use are that they have their own issues. For example- why don’t smokers chew tobacco to avoid lung issues? Some people do use chewing products for this reason but…
You are just shuffling percentages. You reduce risk for lung cancer or respiratory issues but you drastically increase risks like oral cancers and cancers of the digestive system, ulcers, tooth decay or other issues. Gums are arguably safer than “chew” but still carry warnings of dental issues, oral issues, increased risks of infection, oral and digestive (including throat) cancers, dry mouth and other unpleasant potential effects.
Not that cigarettes don’t- but it is a different case. The level of prolonged tissue contact with the drug tends to be different. Smokers may “feel” effects of irritation in their lungs and airways but the way nerves and such work in those tissues and the structures are different than skin or the mouth. So those types of aids have several things that can make them difficult to use and stick with through what can be lengthy or multiple attempts to quit. Their dosage and release are more tapered to
If one does manage to quit through withdrawal, most people report that while cravings for the drug or sensations become less intense or less frequent that they seldom vanish and can last through life. Relapse is always possible and statistically likely in most strong addictions, meaning that gum can help with withdrawal symptoms but doesn’t offer a long term solution.
To the earlier point, for most people trying to quit life marches on, but some have the ability to control their environment through rehab. They may be able to attempt to quit without having to worry about working, they may be able to go to a rehab facility that removes most or all their worries and commitments while trying to quit and goes to lengths to create a calming and distracting environment without triggers. This isn’t perfect either as one must eventually return to life and face the stresses and triggers and familiar.
This is why it generally isn’t effective to simply lock someone..
When you stop taking the drug the production doesn’t resume right away generally, and it may never return to the natural
If you were dumped by the love of your life, even if they weren’t healthy for you, would you be able to so easily replace them with any other person who could provide some vague analog to the same benefits you got from that person? You’d likely be averse if you’d been living together for years to changing your routines and thinking about how your old partner made you feel much better than this new one and so forth. They aren’t perfect analogies but…
A person has no idea what it feels like to be addicted to crack cocaine if they’ve never been there. You can describe some things but if you’ve never been shot at you don’t know what that is like- you can imagine what you think or what you can relate to that might seem similar. The best way to quit smoking is to never start.
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