Nicotine chewing tobacco

The harmful effects of smoking and chewing tobacco (e.g., cancer, emphysema) make it an impractical form of drug delivery, but other delivery systems such as gum and transdermal patches may circumvent this problem. Alternatively, other nicotinic drugs are under development, such as ABT-418, which may create the desired clinical effects and minimize side effects. 

Fig. 2 Blood nicotine concentrations during and after cigarette smoking for 9 min, oral snuff (2.5 g), chewing tobacco (average 7.9 g), and nicotine gum (two 2-mg pieces). Average values for 10 subjects ( SEM). Reprinted from Benowitz et al. (1988) with permission from American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics...

While cigarette sales in the USA declined 18%, from 21 billion packs in 2000 to 17.4 billion packs in 2007, during the same time period sales of other products, such as moist snuff, increased by 1.10 billion cigarette pack equivalents (Connolly and Alpert 2008). In the USA, the most common smokeless tobacco (ST) products are chewing tobacco (loose leaf, plug, and twist), moist snuff, and dry snuff. Many other forms of smokeless tobacco that are used globally were described in an lARC monograph (lARC 2007). All ST products contain nicotine and other tobacco alkaloids that are inherent to tobacco leaf. 

In tobacco samples examined so far, the levels of NAB were significantly less than those of NNN. In fact, NAB has not yet been detected with certainty in unburned tobacco (15). These findings are in line with the major role of nicotine rather than nornicotine as a precursor to NNN since kinetic studies showed that nornicotine and anabasine were nitrosated at similar rates (25). These rates are relatively high, which suggests that the formation of NNN and NAB could be favored in vivo. When chewing tobacco was incubated with human saliva for 3 hours at 37 and the mixture analyzed for NNN, the concentrations of NNN increased by 44% over that in the chewing tobacco, presumably as a result of further nitrosation (15). Thus, in vivo formation of NNN and NAB could constitute an additional exposure of smokers or chewers to these tobacco specific nitrosamines. 

In terms of numbers affected, addiction to nicotine exceeds all other forms of addiction, touching more than 50% of all adults in some countries. Nicotine exposure occurs primarily through smoking of tobacco, which causes associated diseases that are responsible for many preventable deaths. The chronic use of chewing tobacco and snuff tobacco is also addictive. 

OFFICIAL NAMES Nicotine, tobacco STREET NAMES Cigarettes, pipes, cigars, bidis (beedies), kreteks (clove cigarettes), spit tobacco (spit), chewing tobacco (chew), snuff... 

Nicotine in chewing tobacco is absorbed in the first 10 minutes, with peak levels occurring within 30 minutes. The nicotine from a puff of cigarette reaches the brain within 10 seconds. With approximately 10 puffs per cigarette, a pack per day delivers 200 doses (hits) of this potent drug to the brain. The repeated, frequent... 

In this account nicotine is represented as being the major (but not the sole) determinant of tobacco dependence after the smoker has adapted to the usual initial unpleasant effects. But there remains some uncertainty as to its role, e.g. nicotine i.v. fails adequately to substitute the effects of smoking. An understanding of the full function of nicotine is important if less harmful alternatives to smoking, such as nicotine chewing gum, are to be exploited. 

Inhaled by smoking (cigarettes) nicotine in cigar or pipe smoke mainly absorbed across membranes of the mouth and upper respiratory tract may be absorbed through membranes of the mouth (chewing tobacco) and nose (snuff) and through the skin Oral inhalation the three injection routes through the skin... 

Areca catechu is a palm tree cultivated in Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. The nuts of this palm, often referred to as betel nuts, are chewed by more than 200 million people to produce a mildly stimulating effect. So, though not often seen in the United States, areca is one of the world s most popular drugs. Chewing areca or betel is a practice similar to chewing tobacco in the United States, and, like nicotine, the active chemical in areca, arecoline, affects the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Users appear to develop a nicotine-like dependence on areca. Heavy use stains the mouth and lips red and damages the mouth and teeth, but users are often unable to quit chewing despite these problems (Spinella, 2001). 

This plant is used in the production of cigars, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and nicotine replacement products. 

Synonyms Nicotiana tabacum (cultivated tobacco) Nicotiana rustica Methylpyridylpyrrolidine Description Tobacco products contain dried tobacco leaves, which are used to take advantage of the psychoactive effects of the alkaloid nicotine. Snuff has a pH of 7.8-8.1. Cigarettes are acidic. Chewing tobacco has alkali added and is basic Chemical Formula C10H14N2 (nicotine)... 

Nicotinic-cholinergic receptors that are part of the autonomic nervous system may be stimulated at low concentrations of nicotine, but blocked at higher concentrations. The repeated use of nicotine-containing products (which includes chewing tobacco, chewing nicotine-containing gum, or the use of therapeutic patches that release nicotine for skin absorption) promotes the formation of (new) nicotinic-cholinergic receptors. The tolerance... 

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