The smoke from tobacco products contains more than 7,000 chemicals. However, it’s just one of those chemicals, nicotine, that is mainly responsible for tobacco addiction.

This is why, if someone quits smoking without the proper support aids like NRT products, they will often experience withdrawal symptoms.

It’s these powerful withdrawal symptoms that are the number one reason why people are unsuccessful in their attempts to quit tobacco products.

Using NRT products has been proven to increase a person’s likelihood of quitting by 50-70%. If you’re thinking about quitting or have previously tried without using NRT, you should consider exploring the best NRT products.

What is nicotine?

Nicotine is a chemical that contains nitrogen. It’s made by several types of plants, one of which is the tobacco plant, and can also be synthetically produced.

When a person smokes a tobacco product, nicotine is absorbed through the wall lining of the lungs. Another way to consume tobacco products is through chewing. If chewed, nicotine will be absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth.

It’s a highly addictive chemical and is often referred to as being as difficult to give up as heroin.

The effect of nicotine on the body

Nicotine may not be harmful in the small amounts found in cigarettes, but it does have a number of effects on the human body.

The main effect of nicotine is both as a sedative and a stimulant. When someone first absorbs nicotine, they feel a ‘kick’. This is due to nicotine stimulating the adrenal glands and causing the body to release adrenaline.

The release of adrenaline can also cause an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing activity.

Nicotine also causes the release of dopamine. This is a neurotransmitter in the brain that affects how the body and brain interrupt sensations and emotions associated with pain and pleasure.

The typical feelings associated with nicotine are those of happiness, contentment, and relaxation.

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms

Everyone experiences different withdrawal symptoms when they suddenly halt their nicotine intake.

Generally speaking, however, the most common nicotine withdrawal symptoms are:

Physical symptoms

• Loss of appetite
• Headaches and/or dizziness
• Cravings
• Fatigue/tiredness
• Constipation

Emotional and mental symptoms

• Feeling irritable
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Issues concentrating

Using NRT to quit smoking

The main reason people smoke is that they are addicted to nicotine. The main reason why most people are unable to quit is for the same reason; they are addicted to nicotine.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a medication that provides the user with a small amount of nicotine, without any of the harmful chemicals in cigarettes.

It can help reduce withdrawal symptoms and greatly increase a person’s chance of quitting smoking. In fact, it’s estimated that NRT increases the success rate of quitting smoking over going ‘cold turkey’ by up to 50-70%.

This is why nicotine plays an important role in helping people quit smoking. When managed in small amounts, nicotine has no harmful effects on the body.

Through the use of NRT, almost everyone attempting to quit smoking can transition from cigarettes to NRT products. They will see and feel an improvement in their health, and then the next step is to work on tapering off from NRT.

Conclusion

To learn more about inhaled nicotine and how they can help you quit smoking in a safer, and more reliable way, get in touch to speak with a member of the team.

Resources

Drugabuse.gov – How does tobacco deliver its effects?

Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2016 Jul; 10(3): 425–435 – Nicotine Replacement Therapy: An Overview

MedicalNewsToday.com – Everything you need to know about nicotine

WebMD.com – What is Nicotine Withdrawal?

NHS – Stop smoking treatments

Smoking and the effects of smoking has a huge impact on the lives of millions of people in the UK. The government frequently releases information, statistics, and health warnings in an effort to reduce the number of smokers.

The positive news is that the number of smokers in the UK has been decreasing for a number of years as awareness has increased. Another reason being the advancement in safe smoking cessation aids.

The health implications of smoking in the UK

The UK government has been very vocal about smoking being the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in England. They state that lifelong smokers lose around 10 years of their lives on average, and half die prematurely.

The positive is that the number of smokers is at an all-time low. Between 2011 and 2017, the percentage of adults in England smoking dropped from 19.8% to 14.9%, which accounts for around 6.1 million people.

If this trend continues, by 2023 the percentage of adult smokers could be as low as 5%.

The financial impact of smoking on society

Health implications aside, smoking also has a huge financial impact on the NHS and therefore on society as a whole.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), on average around 1,300 smokers were admitted to hospital every day between 2016-2017. Smokers also see their GPs more often than non-smokers.

Smoking-related medical costs and costs associated with being unable to work due to illness are estimated to top more than £12.6 billion a year.

The ripple effect this has on society and the general public cannot accurately be measured, the reality is that the real value of smoking-related costs will be a lot higher.

Why nicotine is not the problem, but part of the solution

One of the biggest misconceptions amongst the general public, and even some health professionals, is that nicotine is one of the leading causes of smoking-related health issues.

The facts are that lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cardiovascular disease are the three main causes of death from smoking. 

None of which are caused by nicotine. Nicotine is known to be one of the more addictive substances in cigarettes, but it’s not one of the most harmful.

For this reason, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is one of the safest and most effective forms of smoking cessation aids. Nicotine can increase heart rate and blood pressure, but it’s not a carcinogen.

It can even be prescribed for use during pregnancy, such is the proof that nicotine does not pose any health risks when used in recommended amounts.

How NRT helps smokers quit

As mentioned above, the number of smokers are on the sharpest and longest decline the UK has ever seen.

The main reasons for this have been advancements in Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs). The facts are that around two-thirds of smokers say they want to quit. Most who try, do so without any aids, effectively going ‘cold turkey’.

Attempting to quit without any support or cessation aids is the least successful method. Doing so with the aid of NRT and other forms of support makes it three times more likely someone will successfully quit.

This is because NRT products contain a small amount of nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical, it’s the chemical that causes cravings and withdrawal symptoms when someone goes cold turkey.

By using NRT in the form of a patch, inhaler, nasal spray, or some other product, a person can keep their withdrawal symptoms at bay while not inhaling any of the harmful chemicals in cigarettes.

Conclusion

To learn more about inhaled nicotine and how they can help you quit smoking in a safer, and more reliable way, get in touch to speak with a member of the team.

References

Gov.uk – Health matters: stopping smoking – what works?

ONS.gov.uk – Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2017

NHS – What are the health risks of smoking?

Smokefree.gov – Using Nicotine Replacement Therapy

As an innovative company focused on developing products with the potential to benefit public health, quality is ingrained in everything we do. In order to maintain and promote the highest level of quality in our work, our various compliance standards ensure that our processes are in accordance with the recommended guidelines and are always improving.

The standards below are created and upheld by the British Standards Institute, who are the national standards body and are on a mission to “share knowledge, innovation and best practice to help people and organisations make excellence a habit.”

ISO9001 – Quality Management Systems

ISO 9001 sets out guidelines to help businesses to create and implement Quality Management Systems which help to improve the way they work by improving their products and services, provide a better service to clients and make their work practices and processes as efficient as possible by implementing the management system set out in the standard. Certification is achieved through a formal assessment by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

For Ventus Medical, complying with ISO 9001 ensures that we are able to conduct our work in the most effective, high quality manner possible. 

ISO13485 – Quality Management Systems for Medical Device Manufacturers

Similarly to ISO9001, ISO 13485 helps businesses to perform better and more efficiently by setting our regulations for Quality Management Systems, however it requires a stricter system and is designed specifically for regulatory compliance with “Medical Device Directives, regulations and responsibilities as well as demonstrating a commitment to the safety and quality of medical devices.”

As we are in the business of developing medical devices to make nicotine safer to consumers and the general public, it’s crucial that our systems and procedures are effective while also complying with the standards required to make our products safe.

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) QC Release 

All medicinal products which are intended for human use are required to be manufactured under GMP. GMP extends not only to the manufacturing of such products but also to the testing and release. Our internal laboratory is currently undergoing assessment for GMP licensing in order to fully internalise the company activities in relation to the conduct of clinical studies on our developments as well as enabling product release testing for future products entering the market. 

ISO14001 – Environmental Management

At Ventus Medical, we work hard to ensure that our environmental footprint and impact on the planet are kept as low as possible. We demonstrate our commitment to environmental responsibility through our certification to ISO14001, which ensures that not only our working practices are considered to the environment but that our innovation is guided by a principle of environmental sustainability.

In addition to these compliance standards, we also uphold our high level of quality by following a quality testing process and continuously working to innovate and improve our work.

Thousands of people attempt to stop smoking every year in the UK, and yet for many it seems like an impossible feat. You may go a few days, or even a few weeks, without picking up a cigarette, and yet the desire to smoke can remain strong.

If you’re struggling to give up cigarettes, you are not alone. Here are some of the reasons why it’s so difficult to stop smoking and a few helpful tips to help you give it up for good

Nicotine is highly addictive

Nicotine is one of the most addictive chemicals on the planet, and its effects impact you both mentally and psychologically. Plus, the more nicotine you’re used to, the more you need to recreate the “buzz” you get when you smoke.

As with most addictions, giving up nicotine can cause a lot of unpleasant side effects including headaches, hunger and anxiety. These effects make it incredibly hard not to give in to your cigarette cravings.

It’s part of your routine

When you smoke, particularly if you’ve been a smoker for a long period of time, it becomes part of your routine – things like having a cup of tea or coffee, going out with friends and taking a break at work feel strange without a cigarette involved.

Because of this, parts of your daily routine will “trigger” you to crave a cigarette as you would usually smoke at this time or during this activity, which makes it difficult to quit. It takes time and resilience to overcome this trigger so you don’t feel that urge to smoke while going about your day normally.

People don’t seek help to stop smoking

There is so much help available to help you to stop smoking, yet many people feel that they need to do it alone or simply aren’t aware of the support available to them. There is no shame in seeking help to give up smoking, and the NHS offers free Stop Smoking Services around the UK to help you do just that.

You can also share your goal to quit smoking with your friends and family so they can help you, or if you aren’t comfortable telling people in person yet, there are plenty of support groups online where you can get support from others who are doing the same.

Nicotine replacement therapy is often overlooked

In addition to this, there are lots of products on the market to help you to stop smoking by providing a small amount of nicotine which eases the side effects of nicotine withdrawal, including patches, gum and inhalers.

These are all types of nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT, a tool to reduce the harm caused by smoking. NRTs provide nicotine without having to smoke cigarettes, which helps to reduce the withdrawal symptoms and cravings often associated with quitting smoking, and can even help you to reduce your nicotine intake.

While stopping smoking is a tough thing to do, it certainly isn’t impossible and understanding why it’s so tricky to give up this addiction is the first step in putting the cigarettes down for good.

As a medical development company, Ventus Medical is committed to creating high-quality, effective, products which offer new and unique ways to benefit public health and pharmaceutical innovation.

We’re developing the next generation of safer nicotine products

Smoking is a risk to public health, and we’re currently working on products which shake up the industry and provide a safer way for smokers to consume nicotine and ultimately quit smoking.

Our first product, ENHALE, has been CE marked as a medical device in the European Union under the Medical Devices Directive and is currently undergoing regulatory approval as a form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy. 

Our extensive research into nicotine delivery, stability and aerosol science has allowed us to develop innovative solutions for a safe and effective way to deliver nicotine.

We’re focused on public health

Public health is at the forefront of our work as we develop new tools which improve the quality of life of the population and reduce morbidity and mortality.

Quality is one of our core values, and all of our devices undergo rigorous quality testing to ensure that they are safe and effective. The quality of the work we do is certified by the British Standards Institution (BSI) to the international standards ISO9001 and ISO13485. These standards guide our working practices and ensure that our development and innovations are guided by the best possible working practices.

Our varied team and agile development strategy promote innovation

With a varied team of specialists in different areas of science and technology, we bring together the expertise needed to create, develop and protect the most innovative products with the goal of protecting public health.

We take a uniquely agile approach to our work, fostering a creative environment built on quality to ensure that we are able to deliver groundbreaking products and technologies.