Coming soon from a MAHA mom near you: Heroin can treat insomnia if used responsibly

Have you considered the health benefits of getting addicted to nicotine? I mean have you?

The people at the American Lung Association are probably in the pocket of Big Health ™ so you might want to take this with a pinch of tobacco (dyswidt?):

The effects of nicotine have been thoroughly studied, with researchers agreeing that nicotine is as addictive as heroin, cocaine or alcohol. When ingested, nicotine rapidly affects the entire body by increasing heart rate, blood pressure and adrenaline levels. It causes blood vessels to narrow, restricts oxygen flow and alters brain chemistry by releasing dopamine, which creates dependency. Long-term use can lead to chronic health issues, including heart disease, stroke and permanent damage to lung tissue. In addition, for people under the age of 25, nicotine has been proven to negatively affect brain development. Since the brain is not yet fully developed until that age, nicotine usage can lead to lasting cognitive and behavioral impairments, and negatively affect focus, memory and learning (which are the things that nicotine as a nootropic booster is supposedly trying to improve).

One big problem is that nicotine has a half-life of approximately 2 hours. “This means that the effects of nicotine go away quickly, so people soon feel like they need another dose,” Folkenroth said. Unlike cigarettes whose smoke and smell alert people to their usage, the newest nicotine products on the market, like pouches, make it easy to get a “fix” without anyone else noticing.

“Nicotine pouches and nicotine drinks may be marketed as “smoke-free,” however smokeless doesn’t mean harmless,” Folkenroth continued. They are absorbed through the mouth (oral mucosa) often delivering high concentrations of nicotine, leading to rapid, high-dose tolerance and on-going dependency. They cause gum recession, mouth lesions, increased blood pressure, and, due to high nicotine concentrations (up to 12mg+), even cause nicotine poisoning.

For people who are addicted to tobacco products and are trying to quit, the Food and Drug Administration has approved seven medications that are safe and effective, including five forms of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). These medications should be used in consultation with a healthcare professional. They are not intended to be used recreationally, by people who are not addicted to a tobacco product, due to the addictive nature of the nicotine in the product.

On the other hand:

There’s a compound that can reverse Alzheimer’s, increase cognitive function and potentially even help you live longer, Dave Asprey, a biohacking influencer, has told his million-plus social media followers.

The wonder drug? Nicotine, Mr. Asprey claims.

A new wave of health influencers like Mr. Asprey, many of whom are aligned with the Make America Healthy Again movement, are championing nicotine as a health product. They promote nicotine patches, gums and lozenges as well as pouches, which are often filled with nicotine salt powder and give people a convenient way to consume the compound.

To these boosters, nicotine is another “natural” product that the medical establishment has unfairly demonized, like beef tallow, peptides or raw milk.

Jillian Michaels, a celebrity fitness trainer, has spoken about the health benefits of nicotine on her podcast. She said in an interview that she uses low doses of nicotine to protect against Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s and sharpen her focus, which she said is affected by A.D.H.D. “Nicotine, unto itself, is not toxic. It’s beneficial,” Ms. Michaels said though she added that she doesn’t believe everyone should use it and emphasized that people should consult their doctors.

Tucker Carlson, the conservative TV host and vocal MAHA ally who sells his own brand of nicotine pouches, has called the nicotine pouch brand ZYN a “lifesaving” product that can increase productivity and “male vitality.” Mr. Carlson went so far as to say that the pouches are “like the hand of God reaching down and massaging your central nervous system.”

For God’s sake someone block that metaphor.

“It’s alarming that people who appear to be very health conscious are allowing themselves to participate in a giant human biology experiment when we know that nicotine is extremely harmful,” said Jeremiah Mock, a health anthropologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who has studied nicotine and tobacco products.

That’s what They would say, wouldn’t They?

This stupid country.