• 474D@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    edit-2
    18 hours ago

    Nicotine itself is hardly worse than say caffeine. But obviously the negative effects of burning and inhaling a cigarette (with all that it contains), especially the carcinogenic agents, is absolutely stupid to think it’s an even trade to pump your workout

    • Jiggle_Physics@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      6 hours ago

      I mean, we are talking about a crowd where steroid abuse is super common. Taking some nicotine to get a pump isn’t really anywhere near being outside the realm of an unreasonable health risk, to a large portion of this demographic.

    • unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      12 hours ago

      Oh, nicotine is way worse. It may not harm your health directly, but addictiveness is exponentially worse.

      Wikipedia: Caffeine - Dependence and Withdrawal: Moderately physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms may occur upon abstinence, with greater than 100 mg caffeine per day, although these symptoms last no longer than a day

      Wikipedia: Nicotine withdrawal: Symptoms are usually strongest for the first few days and then dissipate over 2–4 weeks (…) In a minority of smokers, cravings may persist for years.

      Edit: Left out the “Caffeine” in “Caffeine - Dependance and Withdrawal”

      Edit to add: Caffeine withdrawal causes you to be annoyed for a day. Nicotine causes real, actual cravings (you know you need nicotine, whereas for caffeine you’re just generally “moody” - most people don’t feel “i need caffeine, now”, and even if you do, chances are, if you run out of coffee and can’t get it within less than a day, the “craving” just stops).

      For some, many of whom I know, quitting nicotine is downright impossible due to the cravings. For quitting, toning down is key. Those that quit either relapse momentarily in times of stress (usually for about a week or so), or complain of very strong cravings every few weeks/months.

      Additionally, nicotine isn’t the only addictive compound in cigarettes, and from what I’ve heard, vaping, gum, etc. just isn’t it for some - people also get addicted to cigatettes themselves.

      Not to mention, vaping causes pneumothorax and all the other alternatives cause some harm as well, although much less than cigarettes proper.

      • idiomaddict@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        10 hours ago

        I smoked cigarettes for four years, then quit for a decade. I was incredibly stressed out and had 2-3 cigarettes for a couple days in a row and now I’m addicted again. I hope I will be able to quit soon, I just have to stop working where I am first, because I need the five minute breaks and don’t get them otherwise.

        • Revan343
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          7 hours ago

          Is switching to vaping an option? You’d still be getting the nicotine, but not the smoke/tar

          • idiomaddict@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            7 hours ago

            It is, but I feel like the additional harm to myself is worth not getting a vape with all of the environmental drawbacks to the casing and battery, especially because I really think it’ll only be another few weeks. I already have a new job lined up, and I won’t be able to smoke during that really at all.

      • piconaut@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        9 hours ago

        I’ve smoked cigars occasionally, maybe as many as 2-3 per week for 2 weeks in a row and then just stopped with no signs of addiction. Nicotine is often described as one of the most addictive drugs and I sometimes wonder if I just never took enough to get addicted in the first place or my experience is a result of lower than average susceptibility to nicotine addiction.

      • AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        10 hours ago

        As a long time daily coffee drinker, that is definitely not accurate about caffeine withdrawal. Every time I try to quit caffeine I go through multiple weeks of depression and physical weakness symptoms.

        And as a former smoker, nicotine is still significantly worse. Never touch the stuff, not even once. For a lot of people, there just is no going back from it. It claims you.

      • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        7 hours ago

        It interacts with nicotinic receptors in your stomach, and you’ll have the liver first past effect after that. Eating it is a bad idea.

        Edit: I forgot to mention, absorbing it by your esophagus can irritate your vagus nerve and cause uncontrollable hiccups.

      • Ms. ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        17 hours ago

        Nicotine is water soluble. You can take a wet tobacco leaf off the plant and it’ll soak into your skin and get you a bit buzzed (or in my case when I discovered this mid harvest if you touch enough it’ll get you massively high and nauseous). Imo one of the best ways to get some in relative safety is grow your own, they’re really easy, and just put a leaf under your tongue for a bit then spit it out

        • BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          10 hours ago

          Part of the problem with using tobacco this way (basically diy dip) is that tobacco leaves themselves contain carcinogenic nitrates that will still have long term health impacts. If you’re going to consume nicotine, it’s best that your source is as close to chemically pure as you can get. Synthetic nicotine is by and large the safest option outside of simply not consuming nicotine in any form. It’s still incredibly addictive and cardiotoxic

        • graycube@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          16 hours ago

          After that article the other day about caffeine in hand lotion, I’m now surprised they don’t put nicotine in hand lotion.

      • Comment105@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        17 hours ago

        Nicotine in comparable or larger doses from non-toxic or much less toxic sources is arbitrarily limited for stupid reasons.

      • Barbarian@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        17 hours ago

        I smoked for pretty much my whole life. Quit with varying degrees of success many many times. I switched to nicotine pouches 2 months ago, and it’s been fairly great at reducing the damage of cigarettes while not dealing with the actual addiction.

        Still need to watch out for gum recession, so it’s not exactly 100% healthy, but smoking causes gum recession anyway and I’m not destroying my lungs anymore, so pretty solid for harm reduction.