Could a non-smoker become addicted to nicotine gum?

[Darth Wong]

Just curious. Of course, I imagine non-smokers wouldn't start chewing it in the first place. But since it's supposed to be addictive, is it possible that a non-smoker could become a nicotine chewing gum addict? I know this question has little relevance because it's not likely to happen, but it's been rolling around in my head.

[Tsyroc]

I would think they could but I also think it would tend to make them sick first. So they'd have to keep using the gum even after it initially made them feel ill, which is also possible because lots of people keep smoking or chewing tobacco after getting sick or feeling ill early on.

[Alferd Packer]

I dunno the relative concentrations of nicotine involved, but if a non-smoker could become addicted to chewing tobacco, I would say that it's certainly possible.

[His Divine Shadow]

Product idea; A caffeine/nicotine chewing gum combo.

[Grandtheftcow]

People become addicted to crewing tobacco. I don't see how gum would be any different.

[Grandtheftcow]

Ghetto edit: That should be chewing tobacco. Christ I even previewed the bloody post.

[Gunhead]

Well, nicotine gum contains nicotine which is addictive so yes. But it's not that straightforward me thinks. Smoking cigarettes is also a social function and these days you'd have to go ie. outside to do it. Instead of going alone you'd propably drag along a few co-workers/friends/etc. who smoke, and discuss the hot topics of the day or work related stuff. You can chew gum anywhere and thus wouldn't have this "social" addiction to it.

So that would leave only the nicotine in the gum to cause addiction and some
debate has been going on how many smokers are actually addicted to nicotine and not to the smoking habit itself. I'm not sure about the success rate regarding nicotine gum, but if nicotine was as addictive as some say, I think we'd have atleast a few recorded cases of a person switching from smokes to gum, after trying to quit. I don't know any but maybe someone more knowledgeable on matter can enlighten us.

-Gunhead

[Bertie Wooster]

Just curious. Of course, I imagine non-smokers wouldn't start chewing it in the first place. But since it's supposed to be addictive, is it possible that a non-smoker could become a nicotine chewing gum addict? I know this question has little relevance because it's not likely to happen, but it's been rolling around in my head.

I used nicotine gum for about 2 years after quitting cigarettes but eventually simply stopped using it and would have said no based on my personal experience. My father on the other hand, used nicotine gum for 5 years after quitting cigars, and told me that nicotine gum could become addictive to anyone.

[Darth Servo]

I don't see why not. The difference would be with the gum there is only the chemical addiction rather than the additional psychological security blanket of always needing a cigarette in one's hand.

Anyway, better addicted to gum than smokes. No such thing as second hand gum...well maybe there is if your S.O. decides to share his/her gum with you.

[RedImperator]

Just curious. Of course, I imagine non-smokers wouldn't start chewing it in the first place. But since it's supposed to be addictive, is it possible that a non-smoker could become a nicotine chewing gum addict? I know this question has little relevance because it's not likely to happen, but it's been rolling around in my head.

I would assume so, though a non-smoker would probably be sickened by the concentration in the full strength gum. You'd have to go the opposite way: low dose, medium dose, high dose.

[Exonerate]

I'm just curious, was this brought on by watching Colbert chew a couple sticks of the gum in on the air? I had the same thought going through my head watching him pop them in one after another.

[Turin]

I had the same thought going through my head watching him pop them in one after another.

Nicotine gum is physically very different from regular chewing gum (or, at least it was when I quit smoking some 5-6 years back). It's more like a hard toffee that you hold between your mouth and gums. So you wouldn't pop them in your mouth like that and start chewing away.

[RedImperator]

I had the same thought going through my head watching him pop them in one after another.

Nicotine gum is physically very different from regular chewing gum (or, at least it was when I quit smoking some 5-6 years back). It's more like a hard toffee that you hold between your mouth and gums. So you wouldn't pop them in your mouth like that and start chewing away.

Besides that, you couldn't get addicted that way. You'd probably vomit, but you wouldn't get addicted. Even nicotine doesn't work that fast; physical addiction requires a long-term alteration in brain chemistry, and one dose, even a very high dose, won't cause that.

[Broomstick]

I have heard anecdotal accounts of chewers switching to gum, basically swapping one delivery mode for another, and never getting off it. Haven't heard of smokers doing that.

I suppose a non-nictotine user could taking up the "gum habit" - I'm thinking some young chick with weight issues who might take it up for the rumored weight control effect along with post-meal purging and simple starvation - but I haven't heard of it occuring.

[Kuroneko]

Just curious. Of course, I imagine non-smokers wouldn't start chewing it in the first place. But since it's supposed to be addictive, is it possible that a non-smoker could become a nicotine chewing gum addict? I know this question has little relevance because it's not likely to happen, but it's been rolling around in my head.

I don't know how prevalent the smoking-to-chewing addiction switch is, but it I would expect it to not be overly uncommon, since nicotine is what causes the addiction in the first place. Either way, there are probably studies on this.

I have heard anecdotal accounts of chewers switching to gum, basically swapping one delivery mode for another, and never getting off it. Haven't heard of smokers doing that.

One of my neighbors switched from smoking to constant gum-chewing. He's been chewing for at least several years and probably will continue to do so for many more. Of course, he could simply be an outlier in this regard; I've no idea where one might look up statistics on that sort of thing.

[Tsyroc]

Now what I'd really like to see is someone who got addicted to nicotine patches.

Nothing but nicotine. The oral element of smoking, chewing tobacco, or the gum is all gone. Just a patch stuck to the skin.


I really wonder how well those work anyway. The hospital I work at has pretty much banned tobacco and smoking on most of the campass. It's to the point that it's virtually impossible for the patients to go to the designated smoking area, which means a lot of orders for nicotine patches. I know there are medical reasons not to cut people off from nicotine cold turkey when they are in a hospital but I really do wonder how well it helps them with their cravings.

[Turin]

Besides that, you couldn't get addicted that way. You'd probably vomit, but you wouldn't get addicted. Even nicotine doesn't work that fast; physical addiction requires a long-term alteration in brain chemistry, and one dose, even a very high dose, won't cause that.

Well, yeah, I guess I thought that was obvious to everyone.

I really wonder how well those work anyway. <snip> I know there are medical reasons not to cut people off from nicotine cold turkey when they are in a hospital but I really do wonder how well it helps them with their cravings.

Results for anything like this are of course varied, but I used nicotine patches to quit smoking about 5-6 years ago. I was a pack-a-day addict/idiot, and had tried to quit a number of times by going cold turkey and utterly failed. The patch cut the cravings down from "I want to claw my eyes out" to "I want to claws my eyes out, gently." It made enough of a difference for me over the first two really difficult weeks for me to quit completely.

[tim31]

A friend of mine alleges that a housemate of his was a bum-dragger. If that isn't a widely used phrase, then he essentially wasn't even taking the smoke into his lungs. Nevertheless, this guy wanted to kick the habit and started using nicorette. He is now addicted to it.