# In what way do nicotine gum and lozenges taste "hot"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-way-do-nicotine-gum-and-lozenges-taste-hot/644736>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 21, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-way-do-nicotine-gum-and-lozenges-taste-hot/644736 "2012-12-21T14:33:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-way-do-nicotine-gum-and-lozenges-taste-hot/644736/1 "2012-12-21T14:33:38Z")

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Last night I was trying to tell a friend how nicotine gum and lozenges taste hot after a while. I was unable to find the words. She asked if I meant spicy, like vindaloo. No, not really. An actual rise in temperature? No, not at all.

If you have experience with these types of products, how would you describe the “heat”?

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**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-way-do-nicotine-gum-and-lozenges-taste-hot/644736/2 "2012-12-21T15:13:58Z")

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I know the “heat” you are talking about. I would say it’s like the “burn” of alcohol, with a hint of metal, localized to where the gum is in your mouth.

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**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-way-do-nicotine-gum-and-lozenges-taste-hot/644736/3 "2012-12-21T15:37:09Z")

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I haven’t tried the gum in years, but the burn from the lozenges seems to collect at the back of my throat.

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**Author:** ![NIKI50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/958977/32.png) [@NIKI50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NIKI50)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-way-do-nicotine-gum-and-lozenges-taste-hot/644736/4 "2012-12-22T12:31:10Z")

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Kind of like chewing on a pepper corn. I nicknamed mine “Pepper gum”.