Ammonia and nicotine, a good thing...

[oldbear58]

This is from the site: http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/chemicalsinsmoke/p/nicoboost.htm
"Two Forms of Nicotine:
Nicotine exists in two forms, acid(bound) and base(free). In tobacco smoke, free nicotine molecules vaporize more easily than bound nicotine molecules. Once nicotine vaporizes into a gas, it is quickly absorbed by the lungs and distributed throughout body.
Freebasing Nicotine With Ammonia:
Tobacco companies discovered that adding ammonia to the cigarette manufacturing process helps convert bound nicotine molecules in tobacco smoke into free nicotine molecules. This process is known as "freebasing." Similar to the chemical process of freebasing cocaine, the end result is an enhanced effect of the drug on the user.
The Organoleptic Effect:
Organoleptic is a word used to define those qualities in a product that appeal to one's senses -- that of taste, odor and feel, for instance. Tobacco manufacturers use this term to describe the effect of free nicotine on smokers. Lorillard Tobacco Company documents from the 1970s suggest that research on treating tobacco with ammonia became an interest when low-tar cigarettes were introduced to the market. It was found that nicotine levels fell right along with the tar content in low-tar cigarettes, diminishing the organoleptic effect for the smoker.
It's All About Customer Satisfaction:
Enhancing the nicotine kick smokers receive when lighting up through the use of ammonia in tobacco processing is said to increase smoking satisfaction. One might argue that freebasing nicotine with ammonia only leads to a more intensely addictive nicotine experience for the seasoned smoker and a quicker road to addiction for the new smoker."

In the jargon of the "highly biased" anti-tobacco/cancer industry increasing the nicotine content of a product is done only to enhance the addictive qualities and therefore increase the company's profits at the expense of its helpless victim/customers.

From the perspective of a health-conscious hobbyist-smoker increasing the nicotine content reduces the amount I would need to smoke to get a pleasant nicotine buzz, thereby reducing my exposure to any potentially toxic combustion by-products. (Though by this reasoning I should also give up all baked and toasted products, especially including barbeque, coffee, dark-roasted teas, caramel flavoring, campfires, scented candles and certainly ALL diesel engines!)

Oldbear

 

[Zeno Marx]

I didn't realize anyone smoked a tobacco pipe to get a buzz.

 

[oldbear58]

Ah ha! See! You are smoking the wrong blends. Try a few VaPers. Just watch the nausea.

Oldbear

 

[monbla256]

I didn't realize anyone smoked a tobacco pipe to get a buzz.

When I want a nic buzz, I smoke a Pall Mall unfiltered. Always works for me  :twisted: :twisted: 

 

[Richard Burley]

I didn't realize anyone smoked a tobacco pipe to get a buzz.

It's kind of a half-assed buzz. I find it agreeable, but not as important as the taste and aroma. Of course, I could be kidding myself.  :twisted: 

 

[oldbear58]

My point exactly!

The multi-billion dollar lawsuits were over the "manipulation" of tobacco by the major tobacco companies who found that, by adding ammonia or ammonia related basic materials to their blends they could increase the nicotine dose. This was important for low tar cigarettes that also had low nicotine amounts.

What perique does is increase the alkalinity of the tobacco, also increasing the nicotine dose as well as reducing some of the acidic products that contribute to unpleasant mouth burn.

I found that, despite the wonderfully pleasant odors and tastes of the aromatics I smoked there was little of the pleasant nicotine dose. VaPers have the nicotine, along with a nice aroma.

Try Bayou Morning or Anniversary Kake, slowly, in a nice long briar or Missouri Meershaum. Preferably in front of a crackling fire, perhaps with a glass of nice wine.

One of my current blends is RLP + 25% perique. It doesn't take much though.

Oldbear

 

[RDPipes]

Well, Being an almost EX-cigarette smoker that smoked Camel non-filters I can say that, Yes I need the nic hit a couple of times a day, specially if I'm busy and active. Well at least as active as I can get. Anyway, I could choose to smoke a cigarette to get it but, I don't cause I get more pleasure smoking a pipe because of flavor and it also seems to relax me more. It's like having a desert 3 times a day. Being down to one cigarette a day now I also try to stay at only 3 bowls a day so as not to just replace my cigarette habit with a pipe even though I know I still have the craving for nicotine I will ignore it till the morning.
So I reckon what I'm trying to say is, I smoke certain Vapers because the flavor pleases me not for a nic hit that I can get with a straight VA or anything else for that matter. And tobacco's with heavy nic content don't please me as much as ones with lower.

 

[oldbear58]

I am looking at the use of pipe smoking as an alternative to the electronic cigarettes, patches, gum and other techniques for quitting. I have never smoked cigarettes and only recently started smoking a pipe, so my only interest in smoking is the pleasure I get from the aromas, the activities involved (collecting, loading, cleaning, sharing) and the occasional nicotine hit that I try to keep irregular enough to avoid the addiction.

Tobacco has been so widely demonized, in the case of cigarettes perhaps deservedly, but the evils that are heaped on the subject as a whole are overblown, at least IMHO.

Oldbear

 

[RDPipes]

Oldbear, Not to be argumentative but, just to put it out there, I was always taught not to believe anything I hear and only half of what I read, so I don't believe much of the hyped terror of cancer from cigarettes and none of 2nd hand smoke garbage.
Just my opinion.irat: 

 

[Aristokles]

Back in the day when I smoked cigarettes I fell for that "ultra-light" schtick and smoked Carlton Menthols - not because I liked menthol, but I did want to taste something. By the time my habit hit FIVE packs a day and I realized an average smoke was three puffs, I knew I'd been "had". I went back to Winstons and back to a pack a day immediately.
Sometimes I think the researchers do the work of the devil, just getting things a**-backwards.

It took Old Joe Krantz (never inhaled) to finally kick the cigs - cold in two days.

 

[Richard Burley]

If I wanted a heavy nicotine hit I would use Copenhagen dip snuff. That stuff slams me hard. (No, I don't use it. But did. Very difficult to quit cold turkey.)

It also kills appetite, at least for me. Which makes me wonder if it might be useful for weight control for some folks. Seriously.  :suspect: 

 

[RDPipes]

If I wanted a heavy nicotine hit I would use Copenhagen dip snuff.  That stuff slams me hard.  (No, I don't use it.  But did.  Very difficult to quit cold turkey.)

It also kills appetite, at least for me.  Which makes me wonder if it might be useful for weight control for some folks.  Seriously.   :suspect: 

I use to dip Copenhagen when I was a plumber and at times a cigarette at the same time, some of the guys thought I was nuts, I reckon you all already know that without me having to tell ya now.   

 

[monbla256]

If I wanted a heavy nicotine hit I would use Copenhagen dip snuff.  That stuff slams me hard.  (No, I don't use it.  But did.  Very difficult to quit cold turkey.)

It also kills appetite, at least for me.  Which makes me wonder if it might be useful for weight control for some folks.  Seriously.   :suspect: 

One of the things folks who have smoked cigs for years find when they stop is that many gain weight. The nicotine suppresses apatite so really folks who want to loose weight need to take up cig smoking  :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: