| >> we have very little data on how bad it actually is at low dosages and via delivery methods other than tobbacco Not true, we have a lot of data about using nicotine as pesticide. And quite a lot about oral toxicity. Pharma had nicotine sprays and tablets tasted for decades. Wouldn't be allowed on european market otherwise. >> A lot of the risks people warn about wrt nicotine (dopamine spikes) you misunderstand. The dopamine from coffee is purely from a personal enjoyment, while nicotine binds directly into nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain. It doesn't matter how it enters the blood, it will alter neurotransmitter activity. That's why сytisine is so good for battling a nicotine addiction — it binds the same receptors and prevents the nicotine binding. It's like swapping one addiction for another, except nicotine stays in your system for a week while сytisine leaves quickly (5h). So, you see, it's not "the same" as coffee, it's more like taking longlasting antianixiety or ADHD meds recreationally. When you need meds like that, altering your brain chemistry is a desirable outcome, of course. I'm not against drugs overall. But drugs like that are prescription only for a reason. >> some of it suggests nicotine could be helpful for ADHD some of what I've read also suggests that nicotine could be helpful for schizophrenia. But given that we know what mechanism it targets, I fully believe we can find an alternative formula that wouldn't be so toxic to humans. |