Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 5131

Stop smoking, drink water

Nicotine-laced bottled water reportedly could reach stores sometime next month.
May 24, 2002: 8:22 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Nicotine-laced bottled water, the latest in a recent string of controversial products for people trying to quit smoking, is set to hit store shelves next month, a newspaper reported Friday.

The water, manufactured by California-based Quick Test Five, comes on the heels of a controversy about the dangers of nicotine lollipops, which USA Today said were pulled off the shelves last month -- almost before they were stocked -- because of their potential danger to children.

The water, to be sold for $2 per half-liter bottle, is said to taste like regular water and is marketed to help people quit smoking and provide an alternative for smokers who are restricted from lighting up in restaurants or airplanes, according to USA Today.

But critics claim that the water poses danger to kids because it looks and tastes like regular water and could be addictive, the paper said. "Nicotine water runs a serious potential of both being hazardous and serving as a first step into addiction with children," Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said to the newspaper.

In December the group, along with the American Cancer Society and some other health groups, petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to review the product's safety, the report said. The FDA is still reviewing the petition.

While the Food and Drug Administration regulates nicotine patches and gum because of their health claims, it does not have control over cigarettes or other tobacco products, according to the report.

Each bottle of Nico Water contains 4 milligrams of nicotine, equal to about two cigarettes or a stick of nicotine gum, the report said.

While nicotine is addictive, it does not cause cancer. But other products contained in cigarettes are carcinogenic.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35561

Nicotine is incredibly poisonous, I believe, although not dangerous in those quantities. Sounds like a reasonable idea to me, given that smoking costs business money through illness, etc.

I can't imaginet hat kids would drink water when they can have the teeth-dissolving delights of coke and sunny-D, anyway.

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Registered: Mar 2002
Location: Mountains
Posts: 4689

haha.. I saw that on CNN the other day.. but it didn't come up on any searches..
There's no way the FDA will approve it though.. just as they wouldn't approve food with nicotine added.

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 5131

I imagine the FDA would approve it, if only for prescription use.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: London
Posts: 3008

I read that in last months edition of Bizarre mag...

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 1800

Cancer Cancer Cancer

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 5131

Leo Leo Leo

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Denver
Posts: 2532

If worried that kids will buy the water, and then become addicted to the nicotine, they could always just do with it the same as the gum. Here, one has to be 18 to purchase nicotine gum. Do that with the water, and not worry so much about the kids.

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Registered: May 2001
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 987

I agree with Venus. If the water is restricted to 18 and up then kids won't get into it, unless they find daddy's special water at home. But then they could find daddy's special gum too. Or daddy's special cigs.
*shrug*

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 5131

Next thing you know they'll be trying to put fluoride in teh water.
sheesh

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Baba Kueria
Posts: 3146

I really hope they start selling it here.

Nicotene isn't evil and doesnt cause cancer. It's only so damn addictive cause it has such a beneficial effect on the body, its only real side effect is reducing the body's capacity to produce nicotene naturally. The only problem I see with nicotene in water is that ingestion isn't nearly as rapid as inhalation or even gum. They could aid that by adding some caffeine and sugar to it, then they'd have a real winner. But hell - it's water, you could boil it and make coffee out of it. =)

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Registered: May 2001
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 987

mmm nicotene coffee. Now there is a winner, two addictions all in one.

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