No matter the nicotine delivery system (NRT), whether it be cigarettes, vapes, cigars, chewing tobacco or any other products that contain nicotine, they’re still delivering nicotine. It’s the nicotine that all these products have in common that’s making them addictive.
These products exist for the sole purpose of delivering nicotine, because that’s the addictive ingredient. If when you first started smoking, the cigarettes didn’t contain nicotine, you wouldn’t have continued smoking them. With vapes, it’s a little different because they at least taste good, so maybe people would smoke them even with no nicotine, but it’s the nicotine that gets kids hooked in that they “need” them. Nicotine is the addictive ingredient that gets the user to keep coming back.
A nicotine delivery system is a device or product used to deliver nicotine into the bloodstream, typically through inhalation or absorption in the mouth or lungs. Some common nicotine delivery systems include:
- Cigarettes: The most common form of nicotine delivery, which delivers nicotine through the inhalation of smoke from burning tobacco.
- E-cigarettes: Electronic devices that heat a liquid, often referred to as “e-liquid” or “vaping liquid,” which contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals, and produce a vapor that is inhaled.
- Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs). Some examples are:
- Nicotine gum: Chewing gum that releases nicotine into the bloodstream through the lining of the mouth.
- Nicotine lozenges: Hard candy-like tablets that dissolve in the mouth, releasing nicotine.
- Nicotine patches: Transdermal patches that deliver nicotine through the skin and into the bloodstream.
Some of these products are marketed as alternatives to smoking, but they still deliver nicotine, which is highly addictive and can have negative health effects. The safety and long-term health effects of many nicotine delivery systems, especially e-cigarettes, are not yet well understood.