I overheard someone talking about the latest “energy” drinks in Japan and their nicotine content. This sounded odd to me, so I did a little research and found that there are in fact companies putting nicotine into drinks. Here, for example, is nicotine laced fruit juice:

The delivery system should prove popular, with growth in the functional beverage market, and more accessible than over-the-counter smoking-cessation products. But nicotine-based drinks are faced with significant safety issues, as well as taste concerns.

Finished products wil need to mask the ‘pepper’ taste of nicotine yet contain enough of the ingredient to be effective.

Drinks are already considered habit-forming, so you have to wonder about the “safer than a cigarette” marketing program. Will this be an over-the-counter refreshment? I would hate to buy one on accident, which is exactly the subject of the conversation that grabbed my interest — someone did not realize that the drink they bought had nicotine and could not believe it would even be legal.