The risks to children from tobacco and tobacco with cannabinoids have been described following ingestion of cigarettes, cigarette butts, reefers and joints (Arena, 1974; Schvartsman, 1971; Dreisbach, 1980; Garcia-Estrada & Fischman, 1977). Tobacco cigarettes contain about 15-20 mg of nicotine but this is poorly absorbed following ingestion. 4-8 mg of nicotine may cause nausea, while the estimated oral lethal dose for adults ranges between 40-60 mg. Joints and reefers are estimated to have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 3.6-15 mg.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Arena, J.M. (1974). Pesticide toxicology. In Poisoning . Springfield: C. C. Thomas. pp. 401.
2.
Dreisbach, R.H. (1980). Miscellaneous pesticides: nicotine. In Poisoning. Los Altos: Lange Med. Pub. pp.119-121.
3.
Garcia-Estrada, H. & Fischman, C.M. (1977). An unusual case of tobacco poisoning. Clin. Tox.,10, 391.
4.
Schvartsman, S. (1971). Plajuicidas. In Intoxicacoes Agudas . Sao Paulo: ed. Man. Pediatricos . pp.281.
