Tech Startups Are Handing Out Free Nicotine Pouches to Boost Productivity
- Reference: 0180494011
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/12/31/2238231/tech-startups-are-handing-out-free-nicotine-pouches-to-boost-productivity
- Source link:
> Earlier this year, two nicotine startups -- Lucy Nicotine and Sesh -- made branded vending machines filled with flavored products for analytics company Palantir Technologies. Both machines are in the company's Washington, D.C., offices. The pouches are free for employees and guests over the age of 21, a spokeswoman for Palantir said. Palantir pays to stock the nicotine products.
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> Alex Cohen, a startup founder based in Austin, Texas, said he was first exposed to nicotine pouches in the workplace after seeing tins of Zyns on the desks of his software engineers. His company, Hello Patient, makes AI-powered healthcare-communication software. "They were very productive, so I thought maybe there's something here," he said. Those engineers soon asked him if he could buy it for the office.
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> Cohen said he initially bought the nicotine pouches as a joke for social media. He [2]posted a picture of a drawer in his startup's office filled with nicotine pouches made by different brands with the caption, "We're hiring." "Then, I accidentally got addicted," said Cohen. He said he uses around two to three pouches a day. His go-to flavors are mango or minty. Cohen said he has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and he has found that the pouches can provide a quick productivity boost. "It helps with reining in my focus because it is a stimulant," he said. Today, Hello Patient has a nicotine-pouch fridge in its office kitchen.
[1] https://www.wsj.com/tech/tech-startups-are-handing-out-free-nicotine-pouches-to-boost-productivity-e42d3cbe
[2] https://x.com/anothercohen/status/1915791541408338393
Just bring back smoking (Score:2)
Even in the office, everyone knows a PC runs better when it gets a nice yellowed patina. This is America where every worker should have a ticket to flavor country.
Re: (Score:2)
I worked for Bof A in the 80's. We had ashtrays on top of the tape drives in the data center in SF. Of course they also had a bar on the 8th floor that only employees could get to. God bless the Top Hat.
what about an union and a HARD NO to this? (Score:2)
what about an union and a HARD NO to this?
Re: (Score:2)
I don't know of any tech startups that come anywhere close to even thinking about unionizing.
That is ... really bad? (Score:3)
Free drugs (and nicotine is rather strongly addictive, even if not hallucinogenic) is pretty malicious.
Re: That is ... really bad? (Score:2)
I could go for one sure thanks.
Re: (Score:3)
Coffee may be addictive, but it improves long term health and short term quality of life. It's like being addicted to going to the gym for a moderate workout 3-4 times a week. (Tea is similar, though the health-promoting compounds are different.)
About nicotine in the office: ugh. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. I don't like it when my coworkers bring junk food to the office to share, for the same reason. It's a more moderate version of having dangerous drugs in the office. But now a company is bringing
Re: (Score:2)
Coffee is only mildly addictive. You get over it with two weeks of abstinence with usually just some mild discomfort (light headaches). In addition, coffee is somewhat beneficial for your health, if not overdone and you do not have ADHD or some other condition that makes it hard to focus.
The dangerous thing with coffee is the sugar most people add. That is more addictive and has significant bad negative health effects. And the insidious thing is sweetener does not help as it triggers the insulin response, a
Re: (Score:2)
I'm fairly convinced that despite the "Coffee is good for you!" reports on Slashdot on a regular basis, caffeine is probably a bad thing - I mean, it's the drug equivalent of overclocking your heart, how can that end well.
That said, there's a massive difference between nicotine, which creates anxiety shortly after it's been taken and then "solves" its own anxiety next time you take it, giving the victim the false believe that nicotine somehow calms their nerves, and caffeine which just stimulates the centra
Re: (Score:2)
> I'm fairly convinced that despite the "Coffee is good for you!" reports on Slashdot on a regular basis, caffeine is probably a bad thing - I mean, it's the drug equivalent of overclocking your heart, how can that end well.
You are in opposition to basically all research on the issue. Caffeine is generally not bad, except for some specific medical conditions being present. Now, if you add significant amounts of sugar to coffee, that is a different thing. Sugar is addictive and a killer with tons of nasty effects. But that is not a caffeine effect.
Here is a starting point for you: [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
and (scroll down to "Health Effects"): [2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar
I Can Relate (Score:2)
The band I'm in is from the east coast. We recently played some shows in the middle of the country and while waiting in line for the bathroom at a gas station, one of my bandmates noticed that the shopkeeper asked every single customer "What kinda Zyn do you like?" in what he described as a repetitive, NPC-style behavior. Despite the fact that none of the customers had previously shown interest in a tobacco product, almost every customer purchased a pack of Zyn. This shocked us and became a running gag t
Bad idea. (Score:5, Interesting)
As an ex-smoker, I'd say this is a bad idea. A really bad idea.
Re: (Score:2)
Only if you care about your employees, though.
Re: (Score:1)
So it's ok in the majority of cases? :D
Re: (Score:2)
Move Fast and Break People
Umm... (Score:2)
Wait until the company's insurer hears about this... I don't think they'll be amused.
Be careful what you wish for (Score:2)
When some people say they want to live in a "Star Trek future", it's probably worth mentioning [1]there was also a lot of really dystopian shit in Star Trek. [tenor.com]
Manager: "[employee name], can you vouch for the dedication of your team?"
Employee: "We pledge our loyalty to the company, from now until our last deadline."
Manager: "Then receive these pouches from the company, may they keep you focused and productive."
[1] https://tenor.com/view/jem-hadar-ketracel-white-gif-14286397
Re: (Score:2)
(Psst. Here's a secret. Sci-fi is mostly based on what the authors see happening around them and what happened in the past.)
Re: (Score:1)
I'd like to see the original recording of this:D
Re: (Score:1)
They still play the reruns on H&I.
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DS9 is religious spiritual fantasy trash trek. Only TOS and TNG are real trek.
Drugs (Score:2)
Nicotine needs to be regulated so that dealers can't do this sort of thing. And all the drugs which are currently banned need to be legalised and regulated so that dealers can't do this sort of thing (or at least they can avoid being hunted for prison by not doing this sort of thing).
Remember the 1800s (Score:2)
I guess this is chewing tobacco. One can buy powdered tobacco for inhaling (snuff), still.
To Curry favor with our authoritarian overlords.. (Score:2)
I would suggest the death penalty for drug pushers. Especially in the office
Who cares? (Score:2)
Like really. I doubt they are forcing people to use nicotine. And nicotine is in reality no worse than caffeine despite the brainwashing about smoking for the last 40 years. The health risks from smoking are mostly not related to nicotine.
Re: (Score:2)
Not interested in using but I'm curious how this will turn out. At present, vaping nicotine is judged almost as bad/evil as smoking - but is it? Also people are much less critical of smoking marijuana than tobacco, which I assume there is some rationale for but seems odd. However, both of these things do make sense if the the biggest problem of smoking really is the drug nicotine.
First thought (Score:2)
My first thought when I saw this: are you fucking KIDDING me?
I've always thought that "rugged individualism"was going to be this country's downfall. Add hyper-competitive workplace to that list. Have we really gone so far down the competitive road that we've forgotten why we work to earn a living? The pendulum has swung too far over to the "live to work" side.
I've known people who scoffed and complained how much vacation time European workers have. "I guess they just don't want to win." If getting doped u
Amateurs (Score:5, Funny)
I meth my employees up. Keeps the coders going for days! Bonus it ensures loyalty from the serfs.
Re: (Score:1)
Cheapskate - coke ftw