The landscape of nicotine has changed dramatically over the past decade or so. The change began with the introduction of the first electronic cigarettes in the late 2000s – and in the ensuing years, companies have released a seemingly endless array of new nicotine products.
People remain addicted to nicotine for a variety of different reasons. For some, the chemical composition of the addiction is the only thing that matters. Other people, though, find it impossible to quit smoking unless they can find something that replaces the hand-to-mouth ritual or the sensation of “throat hit” that comes from inhaling nicotine.
The great thing about today’s alternative nicotine products is that they come in so many different formats that you should have no trouble finding a perfect fit for your needs. These are the best alternative nicotine products of 2022.
Disposable Vapes
Any company that calls itself the best vape distributor is certain to have an ample supply of disposable vapes in 2022. Disposable vapes are undoubtedly the most popular alternative nicotine products in the world today, and a big part of that has to do with the satisfaction those products provide relative to their cost. These days, you can find disposable vapes that provide as much nicotine as up to two cartons of cigarettes while costing about as much as two packs. It’s a remarkably good trade from a cost standpoint.
Most importantly, today’s disposable vapes taste great, and that makes them extremely enjoyable to use. In the past, most disposable e-cigarettes were only available in tobacco and menthol flavours. Today, though, disposable vapes are available in the same wide variety of flavours that people would ordinarily buy in bottled form. When you couple the enjoyment with the convenience of being able to simply take a device out of the package and start using it, it’s no surprise that disposable vapes have been transformative for the alternative nicotine industry.
Pod Vaping Systems
While disposable vapes have helped to take vaping to a new level of convenience, one could argue that pod vaping systems are the devices that truly represent how far the technology of vaping has advanced during its first decade-plus. Pod systems are the smallest and most stylish of all refillable vaping devices, and they’re designed to offer the best possible combination of simplicity and efficient nicotine delivery.
In the past, some people have been hesitant about using refillable vaping devices because of the maintenance involved. Tasks like recharging and refilling devices and replacing coils were simply too much to ask compared to the simplicity of taking a cigarette out of a pack and lighting it. Pod systems, on the other hand, make maintenance much simpler because you can replace the entire pod when the flavour quality is no longer acceptable instead of going through the messy process of replacing an atomizer coil. Pod systems do a perfect job of bridging the gap between the simplicity of disposable vapes and the complexity of previous-generation refillable devices.
Nicotine Pouches
One of the most important developments in the alternative nicotine industry in the past few years is the advent of new and more affordable processes for creating synthetic nicotine in laboratories. While e-liquids for the vaping industry used tobacco-derived nicotine in the past, less expensive processes for creating synthetic nicotine have allowed the vaping industry to distance itself from tobacco. That effect has spilt over into other alternative nicotine products, which have mostly switched to using tobacco-free nicotine in 2022.
There have always been smokers who would have been perfectly willing to switch to nicotine replacement products like gums and lozenges if those products actually tasted good. Bitter orange and medicinal mint, however, don’t exactly qualify in that area. Thanks to synthetic nicotine, nicotine pouches have emerged as an alternative that’s dramatically tastier, both because they’re less bitter and because they’re available in a much wider variety of flavours. Nicotine pouches are also sometimes available in higher nicotine strengths than traditional nicotine replacement products, so they have the potential to be more satisfying. Nicotine pouches have taken off in a big way, and they’re easily among the most popular alternative nicotine products at the moment.
Nicotine Toothpicks
Although they’re not quite as popular as nicotine pouches, nicotine toothpicks have emerged as interesting options for those who haven’t quit smoking yet because the available options don’t give them anything to bite or chew. A nicotine toothpick is essentially the same thing as a traditional wood toothpick, but it contains a flavoured nicotine solution that’s released on contact with the user’s saliva. A nicotine toothpick gives you something that you can hold in your hand and bring to your mouth, just like a cigarette. It also gives you a tobacco replacement to chomp on, which is something that the cigar and pipe biters of the world really need.
Modern Nicotine Gums and Lozenges
For those who prefer traditional nicotine replacement products, there’s a new crop of nicotine gums and lozenges available today that’s completely different from the products of the past. They’re generally not available at traditional retailers like pharmacies and supermarkets because they’re not advertised as smoking cessation aids. Instead, they’re advertised as alternative nicotine products that people can use instead of tobacco products – so you’re more likely to find them online and at vape shops and smoke shops. They’re worth seeking out, though, because they taste dramatically better than traditional nicotine gums and lozenges. In some cases, they’re also available in higher nicotine strengths.
Snus
Although it might seem odd to call anything containing tobacco an “alternative nicotine product,” snus deserves a place on this list because it’s very different from traditional tobacco products. Typically sold in cans containing around 20 portions each, snus is a flavoured pouch with powdered tobacco that you use by placing it between your gum and upper lip. The usage pattern is much the same as with nicotine pouches, but some people may prefer the flavour of snus because it’s made from tobacco.
Although the fact that snus is a tobacco product makes it inherently riskier than products containing only nicotine, its risk level may be lower than that of other oral tobacco products because the tobacco is steam pasteurized. Pasteurization reduces the formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines, which are much more prevalent in other forms of oral tobacco.