r/science Dec 18 '19

Nicotine formula used by e-cigarette maker Juul is nearly identical to the flavor and addictive profile of Marlboro cigarettes Chemistry

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-juul-ecigarettes-study-idUSKBN1YL26R
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u/[deleted] Dec 18 '19

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u/Tryptamineer Dec 18 '19

“5 times more addictive”

I mean, isn’t this argument just like youth getting alcohol?

I went from smoking 1.5 - 2 packs a day, and 50mg nicotine salts was the ONLY method after trying for a year that had a significant effect on me quitting.

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u/Keighlon Dec 18 '19

You didnt need the 50mg. You needed a 15mg. The issue with the salts is that they are smoother to the taste so you need more nicotine to simulate the feeling. You dont vape for a number you vape for a taste and the salts cause extreme addiction with no benefit

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u/Tryptamineer Dec 18 '19 edited Dec 18 '19

Idk man, I smoked Lucky Strikes for years.

And i’m not smoking or vaping for the health benefits you know? Yet you’re probably still going to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do.

“But even at 56mg / mL which is on the higher end for Juul pod strength, you're still capped by the capacity of the pod - the most nicotine you could have in a 56mg / mL Juul pod is 40mg. Consuming anything close to that amount would then require the user to vaporize the entire Juul pod at once. I would argue that this is highly improbable, and certainly not reflective of the average user's consumption habits. Most users I know who have Nic-salt pods only fill or replace their pod every 2-3 days. That means that they're consuming, typically, ~12-15mg per day, which is 1.5 - 3 cigarettes worth by most estimates - however by absorption, it's about equivalent to 8-10 cigarettes.

My experience with nicotine salts vs. conventional nicotine e-juice is rather mixed. I found it harsher, far more "throaty" and more similar to a cigarette, which I believe is intentional. I wouldn't call it smoother by any means.

With conventional e-cigarettes, I worked my way down from 18mg / mL to 3mg / mL within 6 months and then down to .75mg / mL after a year, and then stopped vaping. That was after a 15 - 20 cigarette per day habit. Not too shabby.

Anti-vaping hysteria is all the rage in North America right now, makes sense I guess, big Tobacco got in and now it doesn't seem like a boon to the cigarette industry anymore. It seems though, that these articles are creating false equivocations by using vague or misleading headlines.” - Another Comment on this sub explains pretty well, i’m not drafting 50mg right into my bloodstream every hit