GETTING TO KNOW NICOTINE SALTS BETTER
The vaping industry has seen its justifiable share of innovations. Like with everything else, some are flops, but most seem to possess stuck around. Sub-ohm vaping remains going strong, as is high-powered vaping. Still, it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between marketing ploys and real innovations, as is the case with the foremost recent buzzwords within the vaping world. Of course, we’re talking about nicotine salts.
Before we enter what nic salts are and what they’re not (hint: they’re not crystals, so don’t worry), let’s inspect what vapers who’ve used them need to say about the upsides.
Benefits of Using Nicotine Salts:
They deliver more nicotine during a single puff, which suggests that the majority of smokers who are using e-cigs to quit can now save a considerable amount of vape juice.
Smokers are always checking out that something that’s like smoking, but not accurately. Using nic salts provides a sensation almost like smoking, even with small pocket-size devices.
In regular e-liquid, as nicotine level goes up, so does the subjective feeling of a throat hit. With nic salts, that feeling is subdued, which suggests that you can now vape on higher concentrations without feeling like your throat is ablaze.
In the last few years, vape devices are growing in size. Vapers who wanted top performance would often choose larger and bulkier e-cigs. There’s no need to do this anymore – nicotine salts work great in smaller devices, like pod methods or little vape pens.
There are undoubtedly benefits to using nicotine salts compared to regular e-liquids.
What Are Nicotine Salts Exactly?
Most vapers never heard of nicotine salts before the current hype started. However, this doesn’t imply that they haven’t been around for just a while. In fact, the argument is often made that nicotine salts are the sole naturally occurring nicotine out there, and it might definitely stand up.
You see, not only can we not know tons about nicotine salts (as consumers), but we’re also woefully uneducated about nicotine itself. It’d come as a wonder to you, but tobacco leaves contain only nic salts, and no clear, freebase nicotine.
In tobacco leaves, nicotine is already in two discrete kinds: deprotonated and monoprotonated. What this suggests is that the nicotine bonds with certain acids within the plant to make a way more stable molecule. When that bonding happens, the results a teaspoon of nicotine salt. There are different types of nicotine salts, counting on the acid involved within the whole process (citric, malic, lactic, then on).
However, none of those salts are present in traditional cigarettes or regular vape juice, which begs the question: how can we get regular nicotine?
The Contrast Among Freebase Nicotine and Nic Salts?
Regular, or freebase nicotine, was developed by the tobacco companies back within the 1960s, and it’s completely deprotonated. In fact, it had been Phillip Morris that spearheaded the research during this area to form cigarettes stronger and more addictive.
Nicotine salts, while stable and available organically, aren’t extremely bioavailable. What this suggests is that they’re not absorbed by the physical body as readily, and their addictive properties can’t compare with those of freebase nicotine. Today, the nicotine that’s found in cigarette smoke is 100% freebase, stripped of all its protons, which increases its bioavailability dramatically. This sort of nicotine is additionally more lipid-soluble, which suggests that it crosses the barrier quite easily, triggering a dopamine release more effectively than nicotine salts normally would.
So, during a nutshell, while nic salts are organic and readily available, they only weren’t addictive enough. Therefore, the industry spent many dollars’ improving’ the formula to hook more unsuspecting smokers.
If that’s the case, why nicotine salts are coming back? Do e-liquid makers know something? The study that conducted on the contrast between nic salts and protonated nicotine in aerosol and the means it can affect somebody. It’s a really dry and academic thanks to saying that more studies are needed.
Why Are Nicotine Salts Gaining Momentum Again?
Traditional vaping is analogous to smoking, but it’s not precisely like lighting up a cigarette. The texture isn’t an equivalent, and, more importantly, the quantity of nicotine that gets delivered also falls in need of that of combustible cigarettes.
Most regular vape juices are available in several nicotine strengths, but you’ll rarely find anything that goes over 24 mg. That’s because freebase nicotine is acidic and thus harsh on the throat. Due to that, it might be almost impossible to vape a 50 mg nic vape juice on a vape device that delivers a precise amount of vapor.
Are Nicotine Salts Bad for You?
The steadfast mainstream excitement around vaping has taken its toll even on us, so it’s only natural that we’re all wondering are nic salts safe at now. The reality is, they’re as safe as freebase nicotine (which is comparatively safe, if we don’t account for its addictive properties), so, from a pure health and well-being-oriented standpoint, there’s no other reason for concern.
Side Notes
Nic salts are likely more addictive – just by upper concentration, these salts could be more addictive than regular vape juice. That’s because they cause higher nicotine blood content during a shorter amount of your time, triggering neurochemical reactions faster.
Effects of carboxylic acid still under investigation – although arguably not extremely toxic to humans, the carboxylic acid (used to make smooth nic salt vape juices) might even be a basis for the matter. Remarkable studies recommend that it can trigger coughing, while others state that it can cause pseudo allergic reactions. As of now, we’ve no data on inhalation exposure, which is something we hope will change within the near future.
Noted harmfulness of nic salts – as always, the media might use this chance to pounce on vaping once more, arguing that the manufacturers are ‘spiking’ vape juice to form it more addictive (turns of this type aren’t all that unusual for our industry). With the FDA’s recent announcement about reducing nicotine content in analog cigarettes, this scenario isn’t totally unimaginable.
Shifting faraway from vaping being possibly harmful, the FDA is now that specialize in the consequences of drug addiction and what is often done about it. Apart from the carboxylic acid, there’s nothing inherently more addictive about nicotine salts. We do expect with the new shirt from the FDA that we’ll be hearing more said about the consequences of nicotine salts and addiction to them. More studies are surely needed, but only time will tell if the govt decides a crackdown on nic salts will happen.
