- Nicotine Poisoning -
Cigarette Smoking Facts About the Effects of Nicotine Overdose

Nicotine poisoning was first identified in workers who absorbed nicotine through their skin when harvesting wet tobacco leaves.

The cigarette smoking facts reveal that it is impossible to accurately predict the nicotine levels in cigarettes and very little of the nicotine in cigarettes is delivered through the smoke. Most of it is left behind in the filter and cigarette butt.

Children and pets are vulnerable to a lethal nicotine overdose by eating cigarette butts and other products containing nicotine.

Green tobacco sickness was first identified in workers who harvested the tobacco leaves. Since nicotine is easily absorbed through the skin, the tobacco farm workers had a constant supply of nicotine in the bloodstream while handling the wet leaves of the tobacco plant.

Today, tobacco farm workers must take precautions to avoid dermal nicotine absorption as an occupational exposure.

It has now been established that the nicotine readily passes into the bloodstream through the skin, and this knowledge forms the basis for the technology of the nicotine patch as a nicotine replacement therapy for people who want to stop smoking cigarettes.

Today nicotine is recognized as a potential lethal poison and it is the main ingredient in some insecticides.

Cigarette Smoking Facts

Each cigarette contains considerably more nicotine than is delivered to the body through smoking. The smoking facts reveal that the amount of nicotine in an unsmoked cigarette is much greater than the amount delivered from smoking it.

A cigarette on the market today contains somewhere around 10 mg of nicotine. However only 0.5 - 2 mg of nicotine is delivered in the smoke itself.

60 milligrams is considered to be a lethal dose in non-smoking adults.

Nicotine Poisoning in Children

When you finish smoking a cigarette there is more nicotine left in the butt and the filter than was delivered in the smoke.

Pets and small children are vulnerable to a nicotine overdose by ingesting cigarettes and cigarette butts.

• A lethal dose of nicotine for children is estimated to be 10 mg or approximately one cigarette.


• A nicotine overdose can easily result from ingesting nicotine containing products such as cigarette butts, nicotine lozenges, gum, and patches.


• Children may perceive nicotine gum and lozenges as candy.


• Keep all nicotine containing products out of reach of children and pets, including cigarette butts.


• Accidental nicotine poisoning from ingestion or absorption through the skin is possible so keep all insecticides including those containing nicotine out of the reach of children and pets.

Using common sense, you can prevent nicotine poisoning in children if you treat nicotine containing products the same way as you do any other potential poison in your home. In other words, treat your cigarettes like the toxic product they actually are. (See What Poisons are In Cigarettes)

Effects of a Nicotine Overdose

• Vomiting and nausea, diarrhea
• Headaches
• Difficulty breathing
• Pallor
• Sweating
• Palpitations
• Lisps
• Stomach pains/cramps
• Seizures
• Weakness
• Drooling

Using Nicotine Replacement Products?
Don't Poison Yourself with Nicotine

If you are trying to stop smoking cigarettes using nicotine replacement products like lozenges, gum or patches, don't smoke cigarettes.

While the nicotine levels of lozenges and patches are known there is no way to accurately predict nicotine levels in cigarettes. And even if the nicotine level in cigarettes were known, how much is actually delivered to you is dependent on so many individual factors that nicotine exposure from each cigarette cannot be accurately predicted.

A nicotine overdose could easily result from smoking cigarettes while you are also using nicotine replacement products.

Of all the cigarette smoking facts you should be aware of, this one is of the utmost importance:

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