Hello Bigboss!! How are you today? I hope you're always healthy, your sustenance is abundant, and all your activities are made easy!!

On this occasion, we will provide information related to nicotine, which vapers consume almost every day. Since nicotine is a relatively important substance in e-liquid, you vapers must truly understand what nicotine is and what role it plays in e-liquid.

What is Nicotine?

Nicotine is an organic compound naturally found in tobacco leaves. It is the primary psychoactive substance in tobacco. Tobacco can be smoked, chewed, or sniffed to consume the nicotine it contains. Native Americans had been smoking tobacco plants for thousands of years when Christopher Columbus and his crew discovered America.

Nicotine owes its name to Ambassador Nicot, who popularized tobacco by introducing it to the European court around 1560. The term nicotine first appeared in 1823 when two scientists, Posselt and Reimann, extracted nicotine from tobacco during their in-depth study of the plant.

Much research conducted on nicotine since then has highlighted its importance in tobacco addiction. This substance, widely found in tobacco leaves, can also be found in small amounts in some plants such as tomatoes and eggplants.

How is it Made?

Nicotine is extracted from tobacco leaves. The two most common tobacco species used are 'Nicotiana tabacum' and 'Nicotiana rustica'.

The nicotine content in tobacco leaves varies between 2 and 10%, although some tobacco species can contain more.

Currently, most nicotine production for nicotine replacements and electronic liquids is sourced from Indian tobacco. The world's top nicotine producer, Siegfried, receives its first nicotine sulfate extraction between 30 and 40% from India, before purifying it in its Swiss factory to pharmaceutical standards by refining it to 99.95%.

Now, one company appears to have developed synthetic nicotine. Their goal is to circumvent e-liquid regulations that classify it as a tobacco product, particularly in the United States. Synthetic nicotine not sourced from tobacco may actually avoid some regulatory restrictions.

Is Nicotine Harmful to Body Health?

Nicotine at normal doses.

Nicotine is not a harmful factor in cigarette consumption. At the doses exposed to smokers and vapers, no, nicotine is not harmful. It must be explained that nicotine is not a harmful factor in cigarette consumption. As Gérard Dubois, Chairman of the Dependency Committee of the French National Academy of Medicine, states: "Tar causes cancer, carbon dioxide causes heart attacks, and nicotine causes addiction." Nicotine replacements are also recommended for pregnant women who cannot quit smoking on their own.

The only potentially harmful effects of nicotine are on heart rate, which can be accelerated, and on blood pressure, which can lead to an increase. Therefore, it is not recommended for anyone with cardiovascular disease.

However, consuming nicotine alone (with nicotine replacements or personal vaping devices) is still much less harmful for these groups than cigarettes.

Nicotine at high doses.

To die from nicotine, an adult would need to ingest 2.5 bottles of e-liquid at the maximum allowed concentration in Europe. Nicotine is harmful at very high doses and can be lethal in some cases. However, this lethal dose of nicotine needs to be put into context, as the media is prone to fear-mongering in this regard.

According to Dr. Bernd Mayer, from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Graz in Austria, an adult would need to ingest an average of more than 0.5 g of nicotine for it to be lethal. To put this figure into perspective, in Europe, a bottle of e-liquid currently contains no more than 20mg/mL - so to die from a nicotine overdose, an adult would need to ingest 2.5 bottles of e-liquid at the maximum allowed concentration in Europe.

However, it should be noted that in the early days of personal vaping device use, poison control centers saw an increase in cases of nicotine poisoning, especially in children and animals, so vigilance remains a priority. This issue was resolved thanks to the child-resistant measures established by the European Tobacco Products Directive. Furthermore, keep e-liquids out of reach of children.

Is Nicotine Addictive?

A large number of studies tend to show that nicotine is addictive. However, the level of addiction appears to depend on the method of administration.

When nicotine reaches the brain, it binds to cholinergic receptors, promoting the release of certain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, which is known to elevate mood.

Nicotine intake is known to improve concentration, performance, reaction time, etc. Some of these effects are amplified by relieving symptoms associated with nicotine cravings such as anxiety, depression, and irritability. Once satisfied, cravings can be replaced by a feeling of well-being and a better mood. Nicotine addiction is associated with users constantly trying to recreate this dopamine-induced sense of well-being and preventing these cravings.

However, cigarette addiction is complex, and nicotine is not the only substance responsible. Cigarette smoke contains about 5,000 compounds, some of which appear to increase the addictive potential of cigarettes through action on certain enzymes, monoamine oxidases (MAOs).

MAOs play a role in the degradation of certain neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Some substances present in tobacco, such as norharman, inhibit MAO activity. This would help stimulate further dopamine release and increase the addiction associated with tobacco use.

Benowitz emphasizes the conditioned aspect of cigarette addiction. The method of nicotine administration also seems to play a key role in this addiction. The level and quantity of nicotine supplied by cigarettes are higher compared to personal vaping devices and nicotine replacements. Currently, cigarettes are still the most effective method for delivering a very rapid nicotine effect to the brain, and this contributes to the increased addiction of smokers to cigarettes.

A recent study in the United States showed that vapers are less dependent on personal vaping devices than smokers are on cigarettes. In addition, a lexical shift can be observed with regard to tests aimed at assessing the level of addiction in smokers. Several years ago, there were so-called "nicotine addiction" tests, whereas now the term "tobacco or cigarette addiction" test is used.

Benowitz, who has published numerous books in this field, also emphasizes the conditioned aspect of cigarette addiction. Habits, social context, and sensations become part of a smoker's routine related to pleasure in their brain. Once a smoker finds themselves in a certain context, they want to recreate this pleasurable feeling by lighting a cigarette.

What is the Role of Nicotine in Vape Liquid?

An optimal 'throat hit' appears to increase satisfaction among smokers and their desire to quit tobacco use. Nicotine plays two roles in e-liquid. The first is obvious - it involves replacing cigarettes with a less harmful source of nicotine delivery. Nicotine is used to satisfy cravings for quitting smoking. This role has been confirmed by several studies showing that personal vaping devices with nicotine-containing e-liquid are more effective in satisfying cravings than devices with nicotine-free e-liquid.

Personal vaping devices, compared to nicotine replacements, allow for a better imitation of the sensations associated with cigarette use. Indeed, with personal vaping devices, nicotine will also help recreate what is known as a 'throat hit,' the tingling sensation in the throat felt by smokers when smoking. This sensation is due to the deposition of nicotine on the trigeminal nerves located at the back of the throat.

The throat hit is specific to each individual and must be strong enough for the smoker to feel a slight tingling resembling the effect caused by cigarettes and not give the impression of inhaling air. However, it should not be too strong to cause coughing. Research has shown that an optimal 'throat hit' appears to increase satisfaction among smokers and their desire to quit tobacco use. Nicotine concentration helps control this 'throat hit' sensation.

So, that's the article for this occasion. Hopefully, an article like this can provide new insights for you vapers. Of course, if you want to share and gain more insight into vape, you can directly visit the nearest Vapeboss retail store. There, you will be assisted by our Vaporista and given a lot of information about the world of vape. Also, if you lack vape supplies and have difficulty buying them, you can contact our retail WhatsApp for purchases with a COD system. Because Vapeboss has been the most complete and trusted vape shop since 2014, whatever your vape needs are will surely be available there.

Besides our Retail WA, we are also on Tokopedia and Shopee. You can buy your vape essentials like E-liquid, Coils, Cotton, Batteries, and much more.

Keep Calm and Vape Like a Boss and Always stay safe while vaping and always adhere to health protocols during the current pandemic. Have a nice day, Bigboss!