Actor Josh Brolin is addicted to nicotine. While he has been able to change his habits, he has currently landed on one that’s pretty gross and not quite safe.
On the November 14th episode of Marc Maron’s podcast WTF, Brolin explained that he used to use nicotine lozenges but has since changed his ways. Brolin said that the lozenges “taste like gasoline and they got a punch to them.” However, that wasn’t the reason he stopped using them.
Brolin explained, “I used to keep them up by my between my gum and my tooth line. I got seven cavities.” The cavities were the reason he decided to quit using lozenges.
Now, Brolin has switched to nicotine pouches which he also keeps between his gums and teeth. He admits that he has them in his mouth all the time even when he sleeps.
Brolin shared that his wife sometimes hears him chewing the lozenges in the middle of the night. He said, “I don’t even know I’m doing it, I’m asleep. I have a pouch in my lip, and I’m not f—ing lying, 24 hours a day.”
The actor also shared about an experience where he bought some questionable pouches while filming in the Middle East. He said, “We’re in Jordan. And [this guy] comes up to me, and he says, ‘I have some.’ And it has a skull and crossbones on the top.. And it’s 40 milligram packets. And I said, ‘I can’t do that.’ ”
He continued, “And then one day, I start running out, and I haven’t quite run out, I probably have four or five more tins [of my usual pouches] left. And I have his thing in my pocket, and I’m running back from the gym.”
What happened next wasn’t pleasant. He shared, “I stick the thing in my mouth for no more, and I swear to God on my kids, for no more than 20 seconds, and I had to cancel dinner that night. I literally was sh—ting my brains out. It was f—ing crazy.”
Nicotine pouches may or may not be safe. The Cleveland Clinic states while the pouches don’t contain tobacco, they are very addictive and might cause problems such gum disease, tooth loss and even cancer.
Watch the video below to learn more about Brolin’s acting career.