# Nicotene gum for non smokers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 6, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144 "2001-09-06T23:20:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/1 "2001-09-06T23:20:47Z")
What happens to a non smoker who chews the gum, what effects will it produce? ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/2 "2001-09-06T23:23:57Z")
You will get a nicotine buzz. The same as if you were to smoke a cigarette for the first time, except without all of the coughing and complaining that it tastes like garbage, which it does. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e47c2d/32.png) [@\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Tim)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/3 "2001-09-06T23:38:58Z")
It will also induce addiction, similar to cigarettes. Itā€™s allegedly easier to quit, which would imply itā€™s somewhat less addictive. On the other hand, Iā€™ve talked to smokers who thought the effects of addiction were identical, which makes sense to me. On the gripping hand, addiction to nicotine is bad, independent of the source. ---
**Author:** ![Tedster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@Tedster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tedster)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/4 "2001-09-07T00:31:17Z")
I found the gum a lot easier to quit than smoking. Perfect for smokers who take long domestic carrier flights where rauchen ist verboten. Maybe thereā€™s a link between ā€œAir Rageā€ and smoke free flights, heh. ---
**Author:** ![BingoBurringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@BingoBurringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BingoBurringo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/5 "2001-09-07T01:48:53Z")
Why mess with gum when thereā€™s: [http://www.nicotinewater.com/](http://www.nicotinewater.com/) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/6 "2001-09-07T02:39:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BingoBurringo \* > \*\*Why mess with gum when thereā€™s: > > [http://www.nicotinewater.com/](http://www.nicotinewater.com/) \*\* Oh, God, Bingo! You just gave me a wicked idea! Mix the nicotine water with this: [http://www.waterjoe.com/html/](http://www.waterjoe.com/html/) And use them to brew beer! Strong beer! Strong, caffinated, nicotine laced, 20 proof beer! Breakfast of Champions!šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/7 "2001-09-07T03:02:52Z")
As Marie Antoiette would have said **"let them wear patches!"** ---
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/8 "2001-09-07T18:45:30Z")
Humor meā€¦ What exactly would the effects be? Drowsiness? Alertness? Nausea? Increased/decreased appetite? I dont smoke, so I dont know what the usual effects of nicotene are. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/9 "2001-09-07T19:01:10Z")
**kellie** long term non smoker here. As I recall, the cigarette would give me an immediate (near) c- a- l- m feeling. OHhhhhh, ok. relaxed. can handle things w/o frazzle. Of course, itā€™s kinda a false set up, 'cause what really was happening is that the tension I would have felt was my body craving itā€™s nic fix. (suffice it to say that I have enough respect for the drug to not give it a chance to be in me again, thankyew) ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/10 "2001-09-07T19:58:17Z")
Why not just buy some once and try it? Nicotene is not so terribly addicitve that chewing the gum once to note the effect is going to cause withdrawl. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/11 "2001-09-07T20:12:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by erislover \* > \*\*Why not just buy some once and try it? Nicotene is not so terribly addicitve that chewing the gum once to note the effect is going to cause withdrawl. \*\* but, itā€™s also not cheap IIRC, either. ---
**Author:** ![Tedster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@Tedster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tedster)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/12 "2001-09-07T22:30:34Z")
One would probably go through similar effects that any first time smoker went through-- rapid heartbeat, dizziness, turning green, sweating, and nervousness. Fun stuff, huh. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2001, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/13 "2001-09-09T05:24:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kellibelli \* > **Humor meā€¦** > > What exactly would the effects be? Drowsiness? Alertness? Nausea? Increased/decreased appetite? > > I dont smoke, so I dont know what the usual effects of nicotene are. Itā€™ll make you crave a cigarette! [list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list] **Is that humor enough?** [list]ā€¦:Dā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Kalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2001, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicotene-gum-for-non-smokers/80144/14 "2001-09-09T06:05:44Z")
if you get addicted to the nicotine gum, you can get temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ) from chewing all the time. Then, youā€™ll have to go to cigarettes to wean your way off of the gum. Or the patch, i suppose. Or the nicotine waterā€¦ but then youā€™ll be pissinā€™ all the time.