Tobacco companies had to own up to the fact that smoking is harmful in the 1960s when undeniable evidence came out. People struggled to quit because it is somewhat addictive, but mainly because they enjoyed it.
Those companies then encouraged the rhetoric about it being more addictive than heroin. It isn’t. In my experience it’s less addictive than caffeine.
Here’s my history with nicotine:
- Smoked cigarettes from 15 - 26.
- Quit totally for 14 months
- My friend who smoked moved back to town and I smoked when I was with them.
- Switched to vaping 8 years ago.
- Quit vaping in January this year (2024).
I bought 30 cigars at the start of last month (April 2024) and have smoked 9 of them so far. I normally just have 1 a week if I’m having a beer at home but I went out drinking 2 nights in a row at the start of this month and smoked 6 over that weekend.
Am I addicted? Maybe, but I haven’t had any nicotine this week and don’t plan on having any next week either.
There are also drugs available that help curb the urge for some drugs; Naltrexone and Ozempic, for instance. Both make you nauseous pretty quickly if you drink alcohol, and Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors in the bargain. Ozempic has a better mechanism, in that it’s an injection once a week; Naltrexone you have to take daily, which makes it easier for opioid addicts to skip of they’re feeling urges. I don’t know of any that block nicotine.
I know about these because both of those have secondary uses; low-dose Naltrexone is used to treat auto-immune diseases, and Ozempic is a highly effective diet drug.
Better living through chemistry!
Interestingly enough, Ozempic was first and foremost a diabetes drug.
Yup! Weight loss is a secondary (off-label) use.
Wild… Fucking wild. Like this stuff is amazing how when used responsibly it can drastically change a persons life for the better.
Ozempic is insane. Its touted as this miracle drug… And I worry if its gonna be the new oxy cause of how its being I guess seemingly over prescribed. I do hope I’m wrong in that regard.
I just wish the need for number line go up was split from the need to address these issues we have as a species. That way I don’t have to be skeptical about these advancements.