SMOKING NOT FATAL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20274, 7 April 1934, Page 17

SMOKING NOT FATAL.

Doctor’s Comment on Risks of Nicotine. MELBOURNE, March 23. Although nicotine is a deadly poison, the amount absorbed into the human body from smoking is not sufficient to cause death.

This statement, made by a prominent Melbourne doctor, upholds the decision of a West Derby (England) . coroner, who, according to a cable, re- , fused to accept a statement by a police surgeon that a man’s death had been , caused by nicotine poisoning. “ Possibly that man died from nicotine absorbed by other means than . smoking,” said the Melbourne doctor, i “ Pure nicotine will most certainly j i cause death—a few drops are sufficient for a fatal dose.

“ Even heavy smokers, however, can- * not absorb enough to poison them, although excessive smoking over a long period might produce some symptoms of poisoning. A heavy smoker is liable to contract heart weakness, and the effect of nicotine might even send him blind. Death would not result, however, and the poisoned condition would probably clear away and improved health result if the sufferer gave up smoking.” The doctor said that pipe smokers were liable to swallow larger quanti-

I ties of nicotine than cigarette addipts, because frequently collections of brtfwn tobacco residue were taken into khe mouth from a pipe stem. Although this residue contained a certain amount of nicotine, it wai extremely unlikely that there would be sufficient! poison to cause death. It was not possible to prescribe hard and fast rules determining what was excessive smoking, because the ability; of individuals to withstand the effects of nicotine varied. As in all moderation was desirable*