You could be forgiven for not having a clue what nicotine pouches are, how they might relate to smoking, and why it may be for you. This controversial topic is addressed by many journals and medical professionals. They have their fingers on the pulse of physiology and, no doubt, tests on monkeys, rats, and whatever else they use. My opinion is my own, there are no articulate debates whilst I twiddle my ageing moustache, just me. I was a smoker, for a good decade, then I found Snus. Ill talk you through what they did for me, then you can make your own mind up!
Nicotine pouches vs Smoking: Me & Smoke vs Everyone Else!
Its amazing how many times I was told that smoking was bad for you. Like I didn't already know. As an asthmatic athlete struggling with the demands of daily training alongside trying to breathe. My incapacitated lungs struggled to omit the toxins that I took in from cigarettes. Training felt like there was a size 11 on my chest at least two hours a day, yet I couldn't stop. Even more interestingly, I wanted to. Even buoyed by those around me that preached about quitting (despite them partaking in frequent trips to the kebab shop), I couldn't do it.
The mornings were the worst. When I should have been getting ready for training, maybe chugging on a protein shake, i'd chuff fags on my bedroom balcony. Disgusting? Maybe. But, if you are a smoker and you are reading this, you know how that morning fag feels! Yup, only thing better than the morning one when you are dehydrated and searching for a headrush is, well you know what I am going to say!
Nicotine pouches vs Smoking: Enter the Competition
Trying my first pouch was about as romantic as my Mrs would say I am, hardly a memorable moment. I was out, in a bar, came back to the table after freezing my ass off in the smokers area. My friends actually embarrassed me to the point of me considering whether to swing at one of them and set it off! They told me how much I smelled and that I should quit smoking now. Where was the Lynx Africa Christmas starter pack on this one, hey?
What was initiated as a standard roasting from the boys transpired into a lecture. One of my friends in particular, went on and on about Siberia Snus and how good it would be for me. I heard "yadda yadda, gum, pouch" and none of it made any sense. It was only when he told me it was Swedish, I made a connection to elusive blonde females with long legs. Puerile right? Such is life.
He gave me one of the nicotine pouches from his pot. He talked me through how to put something in my mouth like a YouTube How To tutorial. The rest was history. The 43mg of nicotine rocked my world like the morning cigarette that made me smile with satisfaction. It was the beginning of the end for cigarettes.
Transitioning Between Smoking & Nicotine pouches
The transition between the two was not plain sailing, neither was it really planned. But, I had strong social and personal drivers making me want to quit smoking. There were strong negatives of course to smoking:
Smelly Breath & Clothes
Every time I had a cigarette, unbeknown to me, I would absolutely reak of cigarettes. My musty clothes were only upstaged by my breath, even under the influence of Wrigleys Extra Strong Gum! Smell is one of the worst thing about smoking cigarettes. Then, spending £100 a month on aftershave only to combine the two was an even worse idea.
Negative Impact on Breathing
As half an athlete, my athletic performance, you would think, should be of paramount importance. But, when you are addicted to something, you are addicted. I would choose to smoke, regardless of how it affected me because I spent more time out of training than in. Sitting at home playing Fifa 6 hours a day was hardly conducive to my performance either to be fair. But, the negative impact of smoking followed me to every session, and every game, whether I liked it or not.
The Online Horror Stories
Cancer is one of those things that, when you are young, you believe happens to someone else. I would make up lies to myself that I didn't smoke enough, or I was too young, or I was fit. WebMd talking about how smoking affects your looks was one article that got my attention. Maybe the egotistical side of me didn't think that anything was happening to me, but it was, from the inside out.
Using Nicotine Pouches more Frequently to Counterbalance Smoking
Without making a real conscious decision about moving on to nicotine pouches, I started to use it more frequently. In fact, I remember that it started initially by using Siberia during the day in and around the times I would have to be at training. I am actually embarrassed to say that I initiated the cycle of using pouches to not smell around my peers. The morning and the last evening cigarette still existed, I still smoked at those times. For some reason the gravitational pull to smoking fags when I first woke up, or last thing at night, was huge on me. I was in a constant state of smoking vs nicotine pouches.
Nicotine pouches vs Smoking: The Miracle on Fitness Street
Over a period of 3 months, I managed to cut cigarettes from my daily life. I was able to go to training and just be actually unfit, not choking on Benson and Hedges residue on my system. So, when the gaffer moaned at me for being lazy, I began to realise that I was just unfit, but now I could do something about it!
I have never been one for the cold turkey thing, hats off to people that can do it. I have tried dry January for around 10 years straight. But, quitting smoking seems to be the holy grail for so many people; it was for me too. Without going into the standard content creator starter pack for quitting smoking pros; this is how it affected me:
Stronger Lungs
Honestly, there were times when I would walk and be struggling with my chest. My capacity to take in air and turn it into something useable was severely hampered by smoking, coupled with asthma. But, transitioning to Snus allowed me to get my lungs back in some working order after 10 years. The most noticeable aspect of pulling in air is in my deep breaths. I breath in, I can actually fill my lungs.
Sex
You're laughing but I am not joking. Now, I am like a warhorse. Back in the day, I have literally had to stop midway and grab my asthma pump. I blamed it on asthma, but I knew full well my dilapidated lungs were struggling from smoking.
Skin
For any man that can honestly say that they are not interested in skincare, I don't believe you. I noticed instantly, within the first two months of quitting smoking that my skin was getting better. Not that I was suddenly walking around with rosy cheeks and a blemish-free forehead, but it was better. It has continued to get better with time. I could recite one of the many journals that discusses the impacts on skin from smoking; but that's on you. If you are interested, you will find a wealth of studies out there that discuss these impacts from smoking.
Blood Flow
As someone that trained frequently, I would ache quite a bit. Not only that, I struggled with cramp quite a bit during training or games. I have not studied physiology, but, cramps stopped. Perhaps this is interlinked to me training a little more, or better. But, certainly my body has been able to utilise oxygenated blood better.
So, are Nicotine pouches good for you?
In this day and age, Instagram has people thinking that we shouldn't drink water. You can drink from a bottle, but not from the tap. You can drink certain brands, but not from the other. Jeez, it is difficult to even pick up some meat these days without wondering where the animal was raised and how!
Reality is, pouches are products that are much better than cigarettes. I would not go as far as to say you should include it in your skincare routine. But, as an alternative to smoking, I would choose pouches every single time. Simply, these products offer me a way of crushing the nicotine cravings without resorting to tar.
Best Pouches to Quit Smoking
There are a ton of options out there. A lot depends on how many you smoke, what type of cigarettes you smoke, and how often. But, I will try to offer some context to how I did it, then you can check them out.
Siberia Snus 43mg
"Sibes" were the first pouches ever given to me. These nicotine pouches are perfect for the smoking vs nicotine pouches conundrum. They are minty in flavour with a tobacco hint. They were perfect for me as I smoked menthols. For some reason I believed the minty freshness would remain on my breath, it didn't. Siberia Snus are strong, without being too strong. They were perfect for my day time, go to pouches.
Cuba Cherry 43mg
The Cuba brand I found to be lightning fast in nicotine delivery. I always carried a pot of Siberia and a pot of Cuba during the day. If I had time for a quick hit, I would jump on the Cuba. If I was sat down and had 15 minutes to chill, like at the barbers, I opted for Siberia. Between the two of these Snus, they were the sole antagonists in me cutting day time cigarettes.
Cuba Bubblegum 150mg
Using the 150mg pouches was a little bit of an eye-opener as to how far we have come in Snus pouches. These 150mg can wipe you out for 10 minutes flat if you are not careful. However, at high stress moments I literally loved having my 150mg around. I could deflate completely, revel in the nicotine rush and kick back and smile. Believe me, these are no joke, but they are able to give you special moments of solidarity even in rambunctious situations.
Nicotine pouches vs Smoking: A Revolutionary Product or Fad?
I have tried so many times to quit smoking, and failed. Maybe pouches were available for me at the right time and the right place. I cannot go as far as to say that in one swoop I became a non-smoker; it took three months. But, at least at this point in time, I am free of the toxins associated with smoking. No doubt, at some stage, I will find some way to get off of nicotine all together. At this point in my life, however, nicotine pouches are a worthwhile, cost effective and fundamental product that allows me to breathe better, and have less fear of cancer.
If you feel like sharing this article, feel free, if have helped you, or someone else, it is my pleasure!
