I realize I’ve already posted on the craze for nicotine pouches, but this is just too hard to resist: A celebrity’s account of his own rapidly escalating addiction to the little pockets of nicotine.
The celeb in this case is actor Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Dune Parts 1 & 2), and as far as I can see, he is a near-perfect illustration of the dilemma of dependence and withdrawal. Read for yourself:
Josh Brolin Says He Sleeps with Nicotine Pouches in His Mouth, Uses Them ’24 Hours a Day’
For instance, he’s traveling in the Middle East when he grows anxious about his dwindling supply of pouches. He responds with the trademark desperation of the true addict.
“We’re in Jordan,” he explains. “And [this guy] comes up to me, and he says, ‘I have some.’ And it has a skull and crossbones on the top. And it’s 40 milligram packets. And I said, ‘I can’t do that.'”
But of course, he can, and promptly does. “I stick the thing in my mouth for no more, and I swear to God on my kids, for no more than 20 seconds, and I had to cancel dinner that night. I literally was sh–ting my brains out. It was f–ing crazy.”
Basically an overdose, motivated by his exaggerated fear of having to do without the drug on which he’s become dependent.
As for nicotine withdrawal: it’s real enough. Symptoms can range from anxiety and nervous irritability to dysphoria and depressed mood. Plus many users report experiencing physical manifestations as well– disrupted sleep, tremors, rapid heartbeat, GI distress.
The intensity of one’s withdrawal reflects the severity of the dependence on nicotine. The heavier your habit, the more severe the symptoms. The risk of becoming dependent in the first place is believed to be largely genetic.
So if smoking or other forms of tobacco use run in your family, that might serve as a warning.
As for all those advertisements we see online, about how pouches are tobacco-free and therefore a safe alternative to smoking or vaping — I’m afraid that’s mostly just a sales pitch.
