What is Nicotine?
Nicotine is a stimulant drug that speeds up the messages travelling between your brain and body. A stimulant drug can often make a person feel more awake, alert, confident or energetic. Similar stimulants can be found in caffeine.
Where Does Nicotine Come From?
Nicotine is derived from the tobacco plant. Humans have been consuming nicotine for thousands of years. Tobacco growth and farming began in the Americas around 6,000 BC. Back then, people were most likely smoking or chewing it. When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Bahamas, he was gifted dried tobacco leaves. He brought these leaves and seeds back to Europe.
How Does Nicotine Work?
Inhaled nicotine moves into your bloodstream very quickly, much quicker than other methods such as taking it orally in the form of gum. This is one of the main reasons why smoking is so addictive because the person gets almost immediate satisfaction. It is also why vaping has become such a successful substitute for smoking.
Does All E-Liquid Contain Nicotine?
Not necessarily. Most e-liquid flavours are available in a 0mg content which means you won’t be vaping any nicotine. E-liquids are often available in different contents up to 20mg here in the UK.
Nicotine is an addictive substance which is why it is so heavily regulated. The EU laws which came into place in 2014 restrict the sale of products that contain a high level of nicotine.
Finding the right level of nicotine for your e-liquid depends on your smoking experience.
- 20/18mg – Smokers who usually smoke over a pack a day will benefit from a higher nicotine content as this is the amount you would usually inhale from smoking heavily daily.
- 12mg – Smokers who smoke around a pack a day will appreciate a middle of the range 12mg content.
- 6mg – If you are a light smoker who only smokes a few times a day.
- 3mg – Social smokers usually start off at the lowest nicotine content until they find a level that suits them.
- 0mg – If you are an ex-smoker or vaper who has cut out nicotine, a 0mg content will give you the same sensation of smoking and the excellent flavours of vaping without the potentially harmful side effects.
Most people, once finding a nicotine content that they are happy with, will gradually reduce their nicotine levels until they reach a 0mg e-liquid. The majority of e-liquids are between 0mg and 18mg. Most disposables are 20mg, 10mg or even 0mg!
What are Nic Salts?
Nic salts are extracted from the natural nicotine salts found in tobacco plants. Freebase nicotine, used in ‘traditional’ e-liquids, has been made by extracting these salts from tobacco plants and increasing the pH level using ammonia.
Nicotine salts have been created to replicate the same nicotine hit that is expected when smoking a cigarette, as the nicotine salts are absorbed into your bloodstream much faster than the freebase nicotine we use in regular e-liquid solutions. This means that a nicotine hit is felt much quicker from inhaling e-liquid that contains nic salts.
Usually, when smoking a traditional cigarette, it will take around 6 seconds for the nicotine hit to take effect. Vaping freebase nicotine e-liquid takes even longer for this effect to take hold. On the other hand, nicotine salts work quicker and provide the hit sooner.
Nicotine salts allow you to vape a higher concentration of nicotine.
Do Nic Salts Help to Make the Switch from Smoking?
Making the switch can often be a daunting and difficult process. There are more than a few people who struggle because they don’t get the near-instant hit of nicotine that they would get from a cigarette.
Traditional e-liquids can also have a harsh throat hit due to their high strengths, which can be off-putting for a new vaper.
Nicotine salts are able to provide that nicotine hit quicker, satisfying nicotine cravings almost instantly, and the throat hit is much smoother with a higher nicotine concentration. This is a brilliant option for someone trying to quit smoking and move over to vaping.
