New York Post: "RFK Jr a hypocrite!"

Why? Because he took a nicotine pouch!

According to the New York Post:

“Hypocrite RFK Jr.’s Senate nicotine pouch wrecks his own health agenda!”

Does it? And is he a hypocrite for taking nicotine pouches?

I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life, but I can understand why adults voluntarily take non-mandated nicotine patches and pouches. Perhaps they are trying to wean themselves off cancer-causing cigarettes by using a non-cancer-causing substance. It’s all about informed consent and bodily autonomy, which the New York Post fails to understand. This is a world away from mandated jabs for kids and toxic substances in our food. I can’t believe that anyone at the New York Post is so stupid they don’t understand this, so what’s their game? Why would RFK Jr’s confirmation hurt their chances of survival? Is it to do with advertising? Or something else? I mean, it might not be about the Big Pharma ad money. It could be about pushing their psychedelics option:

I don’t advocate for the use of any addictive substances, including nicotine, but I’m tired of people who conflate cigarettes with pure nicotine—they are not in the same ballpark. Even the orthodox National Health Service in the UK says this about the substance:

Although nicotine is addictive, it is relatively harmless to health…Nicotine itself does not cause cancer, lung disease, heart disease or stroke and has been used safely for many years in medicines to help people stop smoking.

I tried nicotine gum and patches a few years ago to see if they would help my brain fog and other problems. They certainly helped me to get a lot of work done, as if I were a robot, but I really didn’t enjoy being controlled by the addictive aspects of this drug, so after a few weeks, I stopped using it; that said, I don’t like the addictive aspects of coffee, but I still drink that substance. And, like nicotine, that too raises my dopamine and increases my blood pressure and probably has other “relatively harmless” effects on my health generally. Of course, we can debate the scientific findings around nicotine, but the fact remains that anyone who takes it is not automatically some kind of health hypocrite.

Incidentally, if you are interested in understanding some of the potential benefits of nicotine, here is a Wiki with links to hundreds of papers:

I’m not recommending nicotine; I just want my readers to know that there are other sides to this story. I certainly don’t think kids who cannot give informed consent and who have developing brains and so on should be taking nicotine. I wouldn’t recommend they take coffee, either, not to mention the energy drinks that many of them are now hooked on.

All that said, was RFK Jr. taking the nicotine as a replacement for smoking, or just to keep his concentration for hours on end, or was he, in fact, taking it to help with his speech problems? We all know that RFK Jr. has spasmodic dysphonia, so did he get some help in speaking from the nicotine pouches? I asked my assistant if this was possible:

Direct evidence linking nicotine use to improved symptoms in spasmodic dysphonia is limited; however, several studies provide insights into nicotine's effects on neuromuscular function:

1. Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors (nAChRs) and Neuromuscular Function:

   • nAChRs are critical for signal transmission at the neuromuscular junction, facilitating muscle contraction. Activation of these receptors by acetylcholine—or nicotine, which mimics acetylcholine—can influence muscle activity.

     ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

2. Nicotine's Potential Therapeutic Effects:

   • Research indicates that nicotine may have therapeutic applications in movement disorders. For instance, studies have shown that nicotinic cholinergic drugs can reduce dyskinesias (involuntary movements) in various models, suggesting a role in modulating motor function.

     pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

3. Case Report on Nicotine and Spastic Dystonia:

   • A case report documented the treatment of spastic dystonia with transdermal nicotine, noting potential benefits. Although this is a single case, it suggests that nicotine might influence muscle control in certain neurological conditions.

     pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

While these studies do not provide direct evidence that nicotine pouches can alleviate symptoms of spasmodic dysphonia, they suggest that nicotine's interaction with nAChRs could potentially influence neuromuscular function.

Maybe someone should do a study on nicotine and spasmodic dysphonia.

This is all very interesting, but regardless of RFK Jr.’s reasons for taking the pouches, it doesn’t make him a hypocrite. His use of the pouches is unrelated to his crusade to get vaccines properly tested, to stop mandating them for children, or to remove toxic substances from the food supply.

On second thought, maybe it is related. With all the work he has to do fighting Big Pharma, Big Food, and corrupt politicians, he might indeed need those pouches.

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