Smokers find relief in nicotine water
Nicotine isn't as harmful without all the byproducts
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

Almost 10 years ago, Westlake Village resident Robert Knight developed a brainstorm. After wrapping up his career of marketing for nutritional product giant Herbalife, the self-described "wannabe chemist" started work on a project of his own.

Knight took a tobacco leaf and stripped it of everything harmful, reducing the nicotine molecule until every cancercausing chemical had been removed. After dropping the molecule in a bottle of purified water, Knight believed he had a product that could change the world for smokers.

NicLite water has only 4 milligrams of nicotine in each bottle-enough to trigger dopamine, the feel-good chemical that goes to the brain, but broken down enough to be safe and lacking any of the 4,000 cancercausing chemicals released when a cigarette is burned.

"When a smoker wants a cigarette, they drink some water," said Martin Simon, Knight's business partner. "And the digestive system breaks it down enough to where it's not addictive. For three to five hours, they don't want to smoke a cigarette."

The product is considered a dietary supplement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. While the FDA doesn't approve or deny sale of dietary supplements, the agency does go through a process to ensure that supplements are safe for public consumption. NicLite has been approved in a similar way in many other countries, including England and Mexico.

According to its marketers, NicLite has an advantage over patches and gums, which contain harmful chemicals. NicLite, on the other hand, is simply purified water, 4 milligrams of nicotine and a low-sodium preservative that gives the drink a one-year shelf life.

Dr. Randall W. Maxey, a Los Angeles physician and past president of the National Medical Association, is head of the product's medical board.

"Nicotine is toxic when it's smoked with all its byproducts, but when it's taken in its diluted form, it's not toxic," Maxey said. "It does, however, manage the cravings of a person who has a tobacco or smoking habit. If it is taken several times a day, studies have shown that they can entirely stay away from cigarettes, or at least cut down significantly."

One of the most important goals for Simon and Knight is changing the stigma associated with nicotine.

"There is nicotine in eggplant, peppers, dark teas," Simon said. "Nicotine doesn't cause cancer- a lot of people think it does."

Maxey agreed. "Most people see nicotine in itself as being a poison across the board," Maxey said. "The range we are talking about (in NicLite) is less than some of these vegetables. When you burn something, that's really where the cancercausing chemicals come from. Our goal is to have as many people stop smoking as possible. And if your method is taking it internally, that's better."

Knight and Simon point to some major stressors for smokers, including long plane rides where smoking is prohibited.

"For people who fly, especially cross country or international, it kills them," Maxey said. "If they had a couple of these, it could certainly make the trip more tolerable."

NicLite can be purchased at Los Angeles International Airport, Denver International Airport and, according to Simon, it will be rolling out to airports all over the world in coming months. Certain airlines will have it on board as well, he said.

"It's not only magnificent for planes, but other places you can't smoke, like Calabasas," Simon said. "It can help smokers, and help (reduce) secondhand smoke. In the movie theater, in the office, in restaurants-it helps."

Dr. Shane Sheibani, a Los Angeles surgeon, met last week with Knight and Simon about their product.

"The concept is an incredible concept," Sheibani said. "From a clinical point of view, it has a tremendous advantage over smoking. If somebody can utilize this to diminish use of nicotine and cigarettes and if it's been deemed to be safe enough to be called a dietary supplement, it certainly would have tremendous benefit."

Maxey said NicLite can also significantly reduce the severity and frequency of migraines, and said early studies show nicotine could help with the effects of Parkinson's disease.

"I've read just about everything they have with it and joined the team," Maxey said. "I believe this product can help certain people. From an ethical standpoint, some people say, 'Why would you want to give someone nicotine water?' Well, you don't.

"Our target," he said, "is not a 15-year-old kid someplace. If you have an adult who has a habit, taking in nicotine through cigarettes, please stop it. Take this water and decrease your desire."

For more information, visit www.smokefreechoice.com.