Nicotine can be harmful to children when eaten or to teens and adults when smoked. Twenty-five percent of nicotine remains in a cigarette butt after smoking.
Ingesting more than one full cigarette or cigar, or ingesting three cigarette butts or one cigar butt, can be dangerous to a child.
Other sources of nicotine poisoning include:
Symptoms of nicotine toxicity include:
Symptoms can occur quickly and may last for several hours. If your child has had an exposure to any source of nicotine, call NC Poison Control.
For information on nicotine from electronic cigarettes and vaping devices, visit our e-cigarette page.
Smoking has been associated with various cancers, chronic lung disease, heart disease, and stroke. Second-hand smoke inhaled by children has been linked to an increase in childhood asthma. For more information on smoking visit the American Lung Association's website.
Call NC Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or chat from this site for questions about an exposure or for more information.
