Nicotine gum and non-smoking teenage DD

[GraduallyGoneInsane]

Hello all,

I wonder if anyone can assist.

I found a half eaten pack of nicotine gum in the bag my 16 year old used for prom. When I asked her about it she said that her friend had said it helps suppress your appetite (which is another issue, DD is underweight as it is.)

I asked her outright if she was smoking. She said no - she cares about her health, her boyfriend (who I now adore even more) would never date a smoker and she knows I would 'hit the roof'. I believe she's not smoking, or at the very least not smoking regularly. I have never smelled smoke on her and keep my nose out for it, particularly after parties or trips to town. She's due to start full time dance training in September and is aware of the need to be able to breathe and be healthy.

She said she was sorry I was worried, but didn't see any harm in the gum, stating it doesn't cause health problems, has no tar or chemicals and won't make her stink.

To be honest, I'm ignorant about this. I know they have nicotine in, as that's the point. I'd appreciate any info about health risks though, so I can talk to her properly about it. Have any non smokers used this and ended up smoking? That's a big fear for me, especially with her going away to school in September where I can keep less of an eye on her.

She is a dancer, already underweight and taking supposed appetite suppressants? I'd be far more worried about an eating disorder tbh

I'm sure it's not great but tbh I think the issue is her weight. If she is underweight why is she suppressing her appetite? That suggests ed to me and is a much bigger deal than smoking.

Yep, what she said ^^

doubt she will start smoking. But anyone who uses appetite suppressants (which it isn't) has big problems and you can already see other symptoms.

hope she will accept help.

I don't smoke and haven't used them, but I did once sell some to a man in the shop I worked in - he complained that he had successfully quit smoking with the gum, but was now addicted to the gum. So that may be a possibility. And it was expensive.

Regardless, I wouldn't be happy she was chewing it and the eating disorder possibility would worry me.

Agree that it's pretty worrying if she's underweight and using nicotine gum as an appetite suppressant. I think I'd be more worried about that than her smoking occasionally. Mind you, I think it's more likely that she's smoking and using the gum because she can't smoke at a school prom. So many of the teenagers round here smoke. Both nicotine and weed. Seriously. I know only one or two who don't. It's very depressing.

Thank you for your concerns. We have already seen the doctor and a nutritionist, so the possibility of an ED is being thoroughly explored and she has recently put on some weight. It's definitely something to keep our eye on and she has regular check ups; the dance school are very good too and she has been warned she will be banned from dance and possibly asked to leave if she doesn't eat enough. It's good to know they aren't actually an appetite suppressant though! That's the last thing we need.

Are there any adverse health effects? She's assured me she will not eat the gum any more, but if there are side effects/health consequences she would take that seriously. She's very into her health, eating aside.

One thing I know about nicotine is that it is possibly the least bad thing about "smoking" and that it is the other chemicals and burning of tobacco that causes most the problems. In an e-cig debate I decided to google it and it and apart from it being addictive, it seems to have no other effects than that of caffeine or similar. Its a powerful antidepressant, appetite suppressant (possibly not good for her), stimulant, and the only physical ramification which probably isn't an issue for her is a slight raise of blood pressure in some.

In terms of teens and what they might be abusing as such, its probably the least of your worries to be honest, and if you have never smelt it on her then I doubt she smokes. I'd leave it at that and keep an eye out for any further body image problems.

I used it for giving up smoking and it tastes quite bitter initially and the taste lingers. Have a word with the boyfriend and see if he can explain to her how kissing her soon after she's chewed the gum he finds it unpleasant, not as bad as kissing a smoker but still not nice as there's a definite taint. That may focus her mind a lot more than any rational objections.

I think her main issue is her weight issue however, having experienced my mum's nicotine gum addiction which undoubtedly contributed to her death, I do say be careful of nicotine gum.

It won't start her smoking - what it does do (google discussions of nicotine gum addiction) is it suppresses appeitite, it rots teeth and gums, and it causes haemorrhages. My mum had many many haemorrhages which could never be found when she was alive. After she died, the pathologist reported she was basically bleeding all over her stomach and no doctor would have stopped the bleeding.

My mum had an addiction to the nicotine gum for years - and honestly it was a serious drug addiction. There are nicotine gum addiction clinics - it is incredibly addictive. It is, IMHO an issue added to your daughter's problem.......but if you do look up the problems addicts have had - usually stomach problems, diarrhoea, then their teeth and gums rotting, you have the information to know it's an added major issue you could inform her about to encourage her away from it.

Honestly after seeing what nicotine gum can do physically and mentally to a person I think they should be ONLY on prescription. Do try your best to get her away from that - at 16 she could destroy her digestive system as my mum had.

Galaxymum, I'm so sorry to hear about that, your poor mum.

I think the teeth rotting may help, she actually said it would be good for her teeth as it's sugar free.

I half suspect there may be an element of fitting in with the crowd, if a few of the girls are using them as appetite suppressants it might be 'trendy'. A lot of DDs eating habits arose by keeping up with friends. She's never had a bit appetite and she's had a lot of issues with coeliac disease and lactose intolerance as a child. However, when her peers have been on the 5:2 diet, or the diet coke diet, or the Special K diet etc etc she has joined in. Never mind that we spent her whole life trying to get some weight on her bones!

Runesigil, that's a smart idea, you know how teen girls work! I don't want to go behind her back to her boyfriend though, that's not fair and I think DD would be very upset if she found out.

Hi, I can help. Nicorette gum and lozenges are very addictive and impossible to quit.

I got hooked in my early 30s. You develop a love affair with them. Your daughter needs to know she will get addicted. I also lapsed into smoking menthol cigarettes and am now hopelessly addicted to both. Tell your daughter about me and she may kick her Nicorette usage.

Good luck.

My aunt also became addicted to nicotine replacement, including gum. It's an expensive, unhealthy, destructive thing.

Have any of the cases of addiction on this thread happened to never smokers? It's virtually unheard of so I would be interested (NRT has been used quite successfully in trials for parkinsons and early alzheimers and nobody has ended up hooked at the end of the trial). Nicotine on its own has a very similar harm profile to caffeine - i.e. not completely harmless but not the huge bogeyman of popular perception.

OP, either your DD has switched from smoking to gum (in which case, hooray!) or she is telling the truth that she is using it as an appetite suppressant - quite likely, given what you have said. Also quite serious. Not only is it an appetite suppressant but it affects your metabolism and helps you lose weight that way too. Sounds like it is part of a much bigger issue. If I was you I would push for a referral to CAMHS.