Misc Why do tobacco and synthetic nicotine have such different effects?

[Jabberwocky]

The difference between cigarettes and vaped nicotine (both freebase and salt) is huge for me.

The actual buzz you get from them is different, mainly tobacco being significantly more euphoric. You can actually feel the dopamine, especially on that first cig of the day. When I vape even the strongest 5.5% juice I do not get that buzz. I mainly just get light-headed and a very slight rush.

Same with oral tobacco. Dip/snus/snuff are all much more euphoric than gum, lozenges etc.

What is the difference? I remember when I was a teenager I thought the additives they put in the tobacco converted nicotine into freebase, yet that obviously can't be it.

Are there other alkaloids that modulate the buzz?

 

[negrogesic]

Tobacco has many other alkaloids that contribute its effects (such as MAOIs like harmine etc). Nicotine alone isn't as reinforcing as tobacco.

I've never been a smoker but I once tried to see is i could develop dependence from vaping significant amounts of nicotine daily for perhaps a month and it didn’t really catch on. I wouldn't have tried that with alcohol cigarettes because I know it would have likely turned out differently.

Tobacco is a funny drug as it is one of the few communicable addictions. You catch tobacco addictions from other people as few people out of the blue, who arent around those who smoke, one day think, "hey i think ill go out and buy some cigarettes". And of those who actually do this even fewer think, "wow this is awesome, i think ill keep doing this".