... I used the gum, got hooked on that for over a year, but at least there was no smoke.
Finally quit the gum. ...
DPN
There's LOTs of misconceptions about smoking. But, as I understand it, one of them is that nicotine is bad for you. While it is the addictive substance in cigarrettes, it is not the harmful substance (the tars and CO2 do the harm)...
So, getting hooked on the gum should not be a problem. Yes, the gum is harmful to the wallet, but not the body...