Drinking coffee and carbonated beverages blocks absorption of nicotine from nicotine polacrilex gum

Patients failing to obtain benefit from nicotine polacrilex gum in their efforts to quit smoking may be inadvertently blocking nicotine absorption. Effective nicotine absorption depends on the mildly alkaline saliva that is produced when buffering agents in the polacrilex are released along with nicotine as the polacrilex is chewed. We found that intermittent mouth rinsing with coffee or cola, but not distilled water, substantially reduced salivary pH and nicotine absorption. Because many commonly consumed substances were also found to be highly acidic, we recommend that patients do not ingest any substance during or immediately before nicotine polacrilex use.