Category: Nicotine

  • Researchers Call for End to ‘War on Nicotine’

    Researchers Call for End to ‘War on Nicotine’

    Photo: kues1

    A new research paper attempts to clarify the confusion surrounding nicotine consumption and the role it plays in the diseases caused by smoking. The paper, released by the Consumer Choice Center, outlines six main reasons why the “war on nicotine is pointless” and should end.

    “Instead of celebrating declining numbers of smokers and far fewer deaths, many governments, public health agencies and anti-smoking activists have been on the hunt for new enemies,” the researchers wrote. “They decided to scapegoat nicotine, and as a result, the fight against smoking gradually transformed into a fight against nicotine. Such an approach has dire consequences: fewer people switching to less harmful alternatives.”

    The paper was co-authored by Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, and Maria Chaplia, research manager at the Consumer Choice Center

    The authors list six reasons to stop the war against nicotine:

    • People consume nicotine, but they die from smoking
    • Nicotine in patches and gums is not a problem — it is neither (a problem) when vaped nor in a pouch
    • Addiction is complex and not solved by a war on nicotine
    • Nicotine makes some people smarter, stronger and more attractive
    • Misconceptions about nicotine are hindering progress
    • Prohibition never works

    The researchers advise policymakers to prioritize practical solution. “Public health needs to make use of all available possibilities,” they write. “People who cannot quit smoking should be encouraged to switch to less harmful alternatives. Nicotine is not the main problem when it comes to smoking, the toxins are.

    The authors also say regulation should be risk proportionate. “Regulation must be drafted according to the actual risk of a product,” they write. “Vaping or snus are less harmful than smoking, hence must be treated differently. Nicotine doesn’t become a poison when delivered through vaping. When nicotine isn’t a problem in gums and patches, it can’t be a bigger problem in vaping. The moral panic when it comes to nicotine must end.

    “Addiction is complex and is not solved with a war on nicotine. When it comes to addiction, public health policies should not single out a single substance. Potential benefits of nicotine must be explored and unbiased scientific endeavors must be ensured. Public policy must accept that many people use nicotine recreationally. A war on nicotine will fail like the war on drugs or alcohol prohibition failed. Public misconceptions about nicotine must be fought. They discourage people from switching to less harmful alternatives and therefore hurt public health.”

  • Lexaria Demonstrates Rapid Nicotine Delivery

    Lexaria Demonstrates Rapid Nicotine Delivery

    Image: Zerbor

    Lexaria Bioscience Corp.’s DehydraTECH nicotine pouch delivered nicotine up to 20 times faster than a generic nicotine benzoate pouch during a study conducted on dogs, the company reported.

     The analysis, conducted in collaboration with an independent testing laboratory, evaluated nicotine benzoate and polacrilex plasma levels in 40 anesthetized male beagle dogs, comparing Lexaria’s recently developed, advanced DehydraTECH 2.0 nicotine formulation to concentration-matched controls. The dogs’ blood samples were taken every few minutes over the course of two hours.

     “The results from the study showed that the generic nicotine benzoate pouch required about 45 minutes to reach its peak delivery rate. In comparison, the DehydraTECH-nicotine benzoate pouch reached peak delivery rates at both eight minutes and again at 30 minutes. It was further noted that in just four minutes after the pouch was placed in the mouth, the DehydraTECH-nicotine had reached a higher delivery level than the generic achieved at any point during the study,” reads a recent article.

     “Our technology was ten to twenty times faster in delivering comparable levels of nicotine into [the] bloodstream than the peak of the concentration-matched controls and went on to far exceed their total delivery, which should provide much greater consumer satisfaction,” said Chris Bunka, Lexaria CEO, in a statement.

  • Synthetic Nicotine May be Subject to Regulation

    Synthetic Nicotine May be Subject to Regulation

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Synthetic nicotine could be considered a component of e-cigarettes, which would allow for the product to be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said the agency was concerned about the use of synthetic nicotine to avoid regulation and enforcement and is considering its options in dealing with its use.

    On Nov. 17, the first day of TMA’s “From Chance to Change” webinar, Zeller said that the Tobacco Control Act defines tobacco products as anything that is made or derived from tobacco and is intended for consumption. The FDA believes that it also includes components and parts (such as coils and batteries) and all the ingredients included in producing e-liquids (such as flavorings and vegetable glycerin) even if the product does not contain nicotine.

    “That’s an assessment that we need to make on a case-by-case basis based upon the totality of all the information that we have,” said Zeller.

    According to Zeller, synthetic nicotine represents a challenge for the agency because it is increasingly difficult to differentiate from naturally derived nicotine. “Historically, that hasn’t been a problem,” he said. “It’s not a problem now, but it could become a challenge for us going forward.”

    Zeller explained that nicotine is comprised of two isomers: R and S. Tobacco-derived nicotine is 99 percent S, and early synthetic nicotine had a 50-50 split between R isomers and S isomers. However, newer versions of synthetic nicotine have much higher proportions of S isomers (as high as 99.9 percent pure), making it harder to tell synthetic nicotine apart from natural nicotine. Tobacco-derived nicotine is also becoming higher in quality.

    “Tobacco-derived nicotine is now being made available at a higher quality … pharmaceutical grade from a purity standpoint. And with that, it may be harder for us to see that chemical fingerprint, if you will, whether it’s tobacco DNA or tobacco-specific nitrosamines,” he said. “We could see this as a problem going forward. Coupled with the clear intent of certain companies to do this to evade FDA regulation … We are concerned about what this means for product regulation, for the public health, and a product like Puff Bar proudly proclaiming its use of synthetic nicotine [and] being the No. 1 brand used by youth.”

    In the short term, Zeller said the FDA is talking internally about how to best address the growing number of products that are using synthetic nicotine to skirt FDA regulation. He said the agency is also responding to questions from Congress about synthetic nicotine and providing technical assistance to members when asked.

    “There are a lot of companies out there that pride themselves on playing by the rules. They have every right to expect that the playing field is going to be level. That’s where we come in with our compliance and enforcement authorities,” Zeller said. “We agree that one of the most important things that we can do, using our compliance and enforcement tools, is to level the playing field and to have our actions [in the e-cigarette space], hopefully, serve as a deterrent. There’s nothing that I can say from a compliance enforcement standpoint on synthetic nicotine other than we have ongoing investigations.”