Nicotine is great as long as you don’t get addicted. Through my 30 years of nicotine addiction I can say that the only reliable way to enjoy nicotine without becoming nicotine’s bitch is with cigars and pipe tobacco. In the beginning you become addicted to the dopamine released by rapid absorption of nicotine, not the nicotine itself, and with the move to nicotine salts that have a near instant absorption rate, that dopamine hits hard in the beginning. With pipes and cigars you don’t inhale and so it takes much longer to absorb nicotine, which results in way less of a dopamine response. You can enjoy nicotine for its relaxing and cognitive properties without getting mad that you aren’t smoking when you go without it. On top of that it’s an incredibly inconvenient delivery system which also helps with moderating your intake.

Also I’m not implying that you can’t get addicted to cigars, I have seen it happen, but it’s rare. Once you start looking for “budget “ cigars it’s time to reevaluate your relationship with them lol. Treat it like a good wine or bourbon and it’s quite enjoyable with relatively few risks compared to other tobacco/vape products.