Giving Up Nicotine for the New Year?

Fri 30 Dec 2016

On December 31st, thousands of smokers all around the world will be putting out what they hope will be their last cigarette. It’s a new year's resolution as old as the research that told us that smoking was about as healthy as putting an anvil down your trousers and going for a swim.

Of course, in recent years many smokers have decided to turn to vaping as their cure for the dreaded habit, with millions now smoke free due to e cigarettes when patches, gum and willpower let them down.

But what about those already using e cigarettes? We’ve noticed an increasing number of vapers outlining their plans on social media to continue vaping, but drop to 0mg e liquid in the new year.

Is this a wise move? Will the flavour, vapour and sensation of using an e cigarette be enough to stay away from the drug that kept so many of us hooked on tobacco for so long? We decided to take a look.

First of all, why is nicotine so addictive?

Nicotine, like caffeine, is a stimulant which, when absorbed, causes your body to release endorphins which your brain enjoys. The reason why nicotine is such a hard drug to give up has to do with the way it is absorbed. When a drug like caffeine or nicotine is absorbed through the skin, it takes a while to reach the brain, meaning that the ‘hit’ is fairly weak. However, when nicotine is absorbed through the lungs, as with traditional tobacco and e cigarettes, it reaches the brain much faster, which makes the stimulation effect much more sudden and enjoyable. This is thought to be the reason why traditional nicotine replacement therapy has such an appalling success rate. Also, studies have shown that about one third of the population has a significantly increased number of nicotinic receptors compared with the other two thirds, meaning that this group has a much harder time of giving up the drug.

Why bother giving up nicotine?

There appears to be two main reasons why vapers are wanting to give up nicotine. The first is simply to achieve a goal they have had for many years. Giving up something that you perceive to be harmful, whether it be tobacco, nicotine, alcohol or junk food, can have a positive effect on both your mind and body, giving you the motivation and confidence to make a positive change. The second reason is the restrictions about to be imposed by the TPD regulations. As part of these regulations, nicotine containing e liquid will soon be limited to 10ml bottles, and will most likely increase in price due to mandatory testing requirements. However, 0mg e liquid does not fall within the remit of the regulations, which means that bottle size limitations and testing requirements do not apply.

Is nicotine really a bad thing?

In a word. No. Not for healthy adults anyway. Nicotine is one of the most studied drugs on the planet, and there has been no real evidence to show that it is any more harmful than caffeine. However, it has been shown to be a risk to those who already have cardiovascular disease, and has been deemed not safe for pregnant women.

Can nicotine be good for you?

Studies have shown that nicotine can enhance performance and increase a person's focus on specific tasks. There have also been studies into whether nicotine can have a positive impact on mental illness and a preventative effect on Alzheimer's disease. These studies have achieved some positive results, but are not conclusive.

If you have any questions about giving up nicotine, feel free to get in touch at info@eliquidflavourconcentrates.co.uk.

Happy New Year everyone. See you on the flip side!