5 Things You Never Knew About Nicotine

As one of the most well-known chemicals (out of more than 4,000) found in tobacco products, nicotine has developed quite the reputation. Unfortunately, though, it hasn’t been for anything good. For instance, did you know that nicotine is still one of the most heavily used addictive substances in the U.S.? But beyond knowing where nicotine is found (primarily tobacco products), what else do you know about it?

Here are 5 Things Everyone Should Know:

1.    Nicotine takes a major toll on your heart. That’s because it temporarily increases your heart rate by 2 to 3 beats a minute and increases blood pressure in the short term because it constricts blood vessels. Nicotine reduces blood flow to the heart.

2.    It also has a surprising impact on your brain. As a neurotransmitter, nicotine produces a natural high within 7 to 10 seconds of inhaling. It’s also a central nervous system stimulant, which can decrease the sensation of pain. Furthermore, nicotine actually changes nerve signals that control physical actions, behavioral control and memory. That's why a certain setting or a smell can trigger a craving for cigarettes.

3.    Nicotine isn’t just found in cigarettes. There’s a common misconception that when it comes to nicotine, cigarettes are the biggest offenders. Turns out, this isn’t at all the case.

In fact, e-cigarettes, hookahs, pipes and chewing tobacco, all have just as much nicotine—if not more. In fact, smoking a hookah can often give a person more nicotine than a cigarette (thanks to the fact that a larger amount of smoke is inhaled during a single hookah session). Furthermore, tobacco dip and snuff actually have more nicotine than cigarettes—a lot more.

For example, holding dip in your mouth for 30 minutes can give you as much nicotine as smoking 4 cigarettes. Two cans of snuff have as much nicotine as 10-1/2 packs of cigarettes.

4.    The stress-nicotine connection. While there are many reasons people may turn to tobacco products—social situations, weight loss, enjoyment, boredom…etc.—the biggest reason by far is stress. Although we all have different mechanisms to cope with stress (some healthier than others), the sad truth about nicotine is that it actually increases physical and mental stress over time, instead of minimizing it.

5.    Working with others will improve your quitting odds. Instead of taking the cold-turkey quitting route, or seeking out self-help tools, talk with a health expert who can offer the support, advice and expertise you need to quit for good. Not only do those who work a health care provider, or go to support groups, have better quitting success rates, they also enjoy numerous positive health impacts (almost immediately).

If you’re ready to begin your journey to a smoke-free life, start GMC’s free Smoking Cessation Program. This comprehensive service offers counseling, education and support for those who interested in quitting smoking.

Why Is Juuling All The Rage Right Now?

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? 

Let’s start with the good news: the number of adults smoking cigarettes continues to steadily decrease—currently only 15.5% of U.S. adults. Thanks to increased awareness and ongoing publicity surrounding traditional cigarettes, more and more adults recognize all of the harmful effects of smoking.

But this recent decrease in tobacco popularity has paved the way for a new type of nicotine product to step into the spotlight. Enter e-cigarettes. “Not only have these devices skyrocketed in popularity since they came on the scene in 2007, they’ve also taken high school students by storm,” explains Nan McCormick, RN, GMC’s thoracic nurse navigator. “In fact, the FDA’s latest preliminary data, not yet published, shows that 2018 ushered in a 75% increase in e-cigarette use among high schoolers (since 2017).”

But not all e-cigarettes are created equal. The latest craze in the vaping world is the Juul device, which alone accounts for two-thirds of the e-cigarette market. So what exactly does all of this mean?

According to McCormick and Prasad Garimella, MD, a pulmonologist with GMC, this is everything you need to know about the booming juuling trend:

1.    Juuling—or vaping of any kind—isn’t the same as smoking. “With traditional tobacco cigarettes, the smoking process involves burning tobacco, along with several other harmful chemicals, like tar, oxidant gases, carbon monoxide and of course, nicotine,” describes McCormick.

But e-cigarettes successfully eliminate the harmful burning process and its many toxic byproducts. “Instead, e-cigarettes use battery power to heat flavored liquid, containing nicotine and other chemicals, releasing a vapor,” says Dr. Garimella.

2.    The flavored liquid in Juuls definitely isn’t harmless. Don’t let those delicious-sounding flavors—mango, cool cucumber, crème brulee, fruit medley—fool you. There’s more to the health picture.

“In addition to nicotine, which isn’t good for anyone, the flavored liquid includes chemicals, like propylene glycol or glycerol, both of which can damage cells, alter brain chemistry and potentially cause cancer,” emphasizes Dr. Garimella. Not to mention that many of the flavorings can impact blood vessel function, too. “The bottom line here is that juuling [or vaping of any kind] isn’t a safe alternative to smoking,” adds Dr. Garimella.

3.    Juuls are especially appealing to high schoolers. That must be why over 11.3% of high school students have admitted to vaping in the last 30 days. “Despite the fact that the Juul, and many e-cigarettes, were initially created to help adult smokers quit using tobacco products, roughly 40% of e-cigarette users have never used tobacco,” says Dr. Garimella. On top of that, there are many aspects of e-cigarettes—the Juul in particular—that make them ideal for high schoolers:

·         Their USB-style appearance makes them easily concealable

·         Their connection to technology makes them seem more like a gadget and less like a vaping device

·         Their social media presence makes their brand popular and trendy

·         Their sweet, dessert-like flavors are appealing teenagers and first-time smokers

·         Their disassociation with tobacco cigarettes causes users to believe they’re not addictive  

·         Their high-levels of nicotine are easily absorbed and encourage higher amounts of smoking per day

4.    The FDA is trying to regulate Juuls and other e-cigarettes. But despite their best efforts to minimize the exposure and accessibility of e-cigarettes to teens, their online presence makes it difficult. Not only are many e-cigarette companies active on social media, they also make purchasing devices and flavor pods online easy and convenient.

There are ways to stop smoking, vaping, juuling—or all of the above. “The truth is, whether it’s smoking, vaping or juuling, they’re all harmful for your lungs, as well as your overall health and wellbeing, emphasizes McCormick. “Year after year, lung cancer continues to be the number one cause of cancer death in both men and women,” notes Dr. Garimella, “this has got to stop.” 

That’s why Gwinnett Medical Center offers a variety of resources to help protect the health of your lungs. Whether you’re an every-once-in-a-while kind of vaper, or someone who has smoked for decades, GMC’s experts can help. With everything from a free Freshstart Smoking Cessation Program to an innovative lung cancer screening program, GMC is here to support lasting lung health.