You hear a lot about nic salts these days, at least if you are paying any attention to things like stop smoking products and vapes, where this substance is heavily used. However, the name is a little confusing, and given the vilification that nicotine has received due to its association with smoking and other tobacco use, that part doesn’t help matters either. Today, I would like to clear up what nicotine salts are, and why you shouldn’t be afraid of them if you are looking for a safe source of nicotine that is far healthier than something like smoking or using smokeless tobacco.
Before I talk about nicotine salts themselves, though, let me talk a little bit about nicotine in general, because it isn’t the real problem when it comes to smoking and other forms of tobacco use. It is extremely addictive, and that’s where it is problematic in general, and that’s why it keeps people smoking long after they’ve learned how bad for them such a habit is. However, beyond its addictive nature, nicotine in the dosages received from tobacco or vape use are not hazardous to healthy adults. Nicotine is a vasodilator, increasing flow of oxygen and triggering multiple forms of dopamine release of the brain, and was used first and foremost by natives of the New World as a medicine due to these properties.
Nicotine, however, is a toxin in extreme concentrations, and was also used by the same native civilizations for pest control on their crops, and this practice was adopted by farmers well into the early twentieth century, cooking down tobacco into a thick, noxious syrup that is indeed quite toxic. However, the amount of nicotine in smoking and smoking alternative products is so minuscule as to only be hazardous to people whose bodies are not yet done maturing, or those with pulmonary or cardiac issues.
It’s the smoke itself, and other stuff in tobacco juice, that are so toxic and carcinogenic to the body, the nicotine is just the addictive element that keeps people coming back.
However, the salt aspect of nic salts may still raise an eyebrow. Is this some sort of highly synthetic, very artificial compound that may not be healthy? No, the salt aspect of it simply describes the pure, crystalline nature of mineral and organic compounds, with a multitude of other purified substances also being labeled as salts are similar reasons. The crystalline nature is the sole reason why this term is used, and it has nothing to do with traditional forms of salt that you may think of. Basically, this is pure nicotine that can be delivered through non-tobacco means, harvested from tobacco and other nicotine producing plants, but purely just the nicotine itself being the end result.
While it is every bit as addictive, and insignificant concentrations would also be toxic, the amount of nic salts available in vape juice, or alternatives to smokeless tobacco is just as minuscule if not more so than that found in traditional tobacco products, making it just is harmless to healthy adults.
As said, nicotine salts have long been used in nicotine gums and patches to aid in quitting, and no long-term health risks have yet been discovered in the many decades such products have been on the market. As far as vapes themselves, more time needs to be passed before we can guarantee that there aren’t any surprising long-term health risks from the general practice of using these products, but no such surprises are expected. If you want to learn more about nicotine salts, Shosha Australia is your one-stop shop for healthier alternatives to smoking, and their educated and passionate associates would be happy to answer any questions you may have!
