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Nicotine is what keeps smokers smoking: It’s the chemical found in the leaves of tobacco plants that makes cigarettes so addictive. It’s in all cigars, smokeless tobacco (such as chew or snuff), and most electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes. Nicotine gums, patches, and lozenges have it, too.

Simply put, nicotine poisoning happens when you have too much of it in your body. The amount that causes overdose depends on things like your body weight and where the nicotine came from.

Usually, someone who gets quick, proper care will recover fully. But a severe case of poisoning could have long-lasting effects.

How Much Is Too Much?

The CDC says 50 to 60 milligrams of nicotine is a deadly dose for an adult who weighs about 150 pounds. But some research suggests a lethal amount may be a lot higher.

It’s not likely you’ll overdose on nicotine just from smoking cigarettes. Your body absorbs only about one-tenth of the nicotine in a cigarette, around 1 milligram, when you smoke it. Overdosing from nicotine gum or a patch is rare, but it’s possible if you don’t follow the instructions carefully.

Because kids are smaller, it takes less nicotine to poison them (or pets, for the same reason). There’s enough in a cigarette butt to harm your little one if they decide to eat one off the floor, for example. An older child experimenting with chewing tobacco can also overdose.

E-cigarettes pose a bigger risk. They use batteries to heat liquid nicotine — usually in a cartridge or container — into a gas or vapor so you can inhale it. Swallowing this liquid nicotine can be toxic. It can also be harmful if you spill some on your skin or get a little in your eye.

Sometimes it comes in colorful packages or smells like candy, so it’s not surprising that kids will drink it. As little as 1 teaspoon of liquid nicotine can be fatal for the average 26-pound toddler.

Symptoms

Nicotine poisoning usually happens in two stages. Symptoms typically last an hour or two after a mild overdose and up to 24 hours for severe poisoning. 

You’ll get early symptoms within the first 15 minutes to an hour.

• Feeling queasy or throwing up
• Stomachache
• Mouth watering
• Quick, heavy breathing
• Faster heartbeat
• Higher blood pressure
• Pale skin
• Headache
• Dizzy, off-balance, or confused

Late-phase symptoms are more like winding down. They happen 30 minutes to 4 hours later.

• Diarrhea
• Shallow breathing
• Slower heartbeat
• Lower blood pressure
• Lethargy
• Feeling weak, slow reflexes, or unable to control muscles
• Seizures

What to Do for Nicotine Poisoning

Call the American Association of Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222 right away if you suspect an overdose or when someone, especially a child:

• Swallows any type of tobacco or nicotine product
• Gets liquid nicotine in their eye
• Spills liquid nicotine on their skin

If the person who is poisoned can’t wake up, has a hard time breathing, or has a seizure, call 911.