Nicotine Toothpicks vs Vaping: A Plain Comparison

A vape and a nicotine toothpick both give you nicotine without tobacco. After that they are very different. Here is how they compare.

How each one works

Vaping. A battery heats a liquid into vapor. You breathe the vapor into your lungs. The liquid usually has nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin and flavoring.

Nicotine toothpicks. A wooden pick holds nicotine and flavor in the wood. You put it between your cheek and gum. The nicotine comes out slowly into your mouth. Nothing is heated and nothing is inhaled.

What you carry

A vape is a device. It needs a battery, a charger and pods or liquid. It can leak, run out of charge or break.

A pack of Stokes picks is a flat pack of 16 toothpicks. It fits in a pocket or a glovebox. There is nothing to charge, fill or clean.

How long each one lasts

A vape gives you nicotine in short puffs, as often as you reach for it. Most people puff many times an hour.

A Stokes pick has 5 mg of nicotine that comes out over 20 to 60 minutes. One pick is one session. When the flavor fades, flip to the other end, and when that fades, throw it away.

Where you can use them

Vaping is banned in most indoor public places, on planes and in many offices. People around you can see and smell it.

A toothpick in your mouth looks like a toothpick. There is no smoke, vapor or smell. You can fly with them, since there are no batteries or liquids. Still check the rules of wherever you are, and we only ship within the United States.

What you throw away

A used pod or a disposable vape is plastic, metal and a lithium battery. Most of it ends up in the trash.

A used Stokes pick is a piece of birch. It breaks down naturally. The pack is the only packaging.

What it costs

Vape costs vary a lot by device and how much you use. A pack of 16 Stokes picks is $7. Six-packs and twelve-packs cost less per pack, and a subscription takes another 10% off. Orders over $48 ship free.

Side by side

	Vaping	Stokes picks
How it works	Heated vapor, inhaled	Nicotine in wood, held in the mouth
Nicotine per use	Varies by device and puffs	5 mg per pick, released over 20 to 60 minutes
Needs charging	Yes	No
Smell or vapor	Yes	No
What you throw away	Plastic, metal, battery	A birch toothpick
Ingredients	Varies by brand	Five: birch, nicotine, organic flavors, monk fruit, vegetable glycerin

What this comparison does not say

We are not saying one is safe and the other is not. Nicotine is an addictive chemical in both. Stokes picks are for adults 21 and over who already use nicotine. They are not a product to help you quit vaping, and we do not sell them as one.

Which should you choose

If you want something you can use anywhere, with no device and nothing to charge, a toothpick fits. If you want a quick hit on demand, a vape does that. Many people who try picks like that one pick lasts a long time and that they can see the ingredient list.

You can see the four flavors or read how a pick works.