Toxicity of tobacco

Characteristics of tobacco plant

Scientific noun: Nicotiana tabacum L.

Common noun: Tobacco

Family: Nightshade family – Solanaceae.

Habitat: Most of the continents.

Alkaloids: Nicotine(C₁₀ H₁₄ N₂₎

Active parts: The leaves.

Uses: Insecticide for animals and plants. Tobacco for smoking or chewing

Toxicity of tobacco plant

• Nicotine: Pure nicotine produced by synthesis has a great level of toxicity, carrying to death because of heart failure. Nicotine produced by synthesis or accumulated in the leaves of this plant can cause death because of heart paralysis when ingested. Pure nicotine is becoming toxic from the 2 or 4 mg, with dosages between 40 and 60 mg mortals.

A cigarette contains between 15 and 20 mg and a cigar between 15 and 40 mg. A regular smoker can overcome these doses daily, although nicotine is gradually swallowed in smokers, so that their body gets used.

• Smoking: Nicotine in tobacco is the exciting component of this plant. It creates addiction which is manifested in the need to return to smoking that smokers experience some time after being without it. Smoking is pleasing to the smoker because it releases tension and helps him/her overcome the routine.

Side effects of nicotine

Nicotine raises blood pressure and heart rate.

Moreover. smoking is one of the leading causes of death in Western society and it is the leading cause of lung cancer

Nicotine intake because of smoking tobacco produces nicotinism, affecting most of the body organs, specially the lungs

More information about smoking and how to stop smoking

Symptoms of poisoning with nicotine

Apart from nicotinism, pure nicotine is a strong poison, whose ingestion leads to the following symptoms:

• Stomachache
• Diarrhea
• Pulse weakness
• Paralysis

Is tobacco poisonous for animals?

Tobacco is very poisonous for most animals. Tobacco infusions have been illegally used as a fishing resource. This infusion kills fish, which, once dead, float on the water surface.

The same infusions can be considered a good natural plaguicide in gardening.

Tobacco cultivation

More information about plants.

Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

26 November, 2020