Table of contents:
- Why do people eat cigarettes?
- Can eating cigarettes cause death?
- What will happen if you eat cigarettes?
- Side effects of eating cigarettes
Almost everyone already knows that smoking is a health hazard. Cigarette smoke contains various types of cancer-causing toxins and various other disorders. Then, what about the cigarette itself? What would happen if someone ate cigarette butts? Is it true that eating cigarettes can cause death? Find out the full answer below.
Why do people eat cigarettes?
Although it is not common, there are people who are used to consuming cigarettes. One of the causes is an eating disorder (eating disorder). People with eating disorders can indeed consume things that are not natural, such as chalk, soil, paint, and cigarettes. This eating disorder is known in the medical realm as pica.
Some people also eat cigarettes because they believe that consuming cigarette ash is healthier than smoking. In fact, eating cigarettes is as dangerous as smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke.
ALSO READ: Is it true that smoking can make a penis shorter?
In certain cases, many young children accidentally eat or swallow cigarettes outside of adult supervision. Children under 6 years of age often consume their parents' cigarettes that are lying in the ashtray. Seeing that their parents often put cigarettes in their mouths, children think that cigarettes are a kind of food or candy.
Can eating cigarettes cause death?
One of the most dangerous active chemicals in a cigarette is nicotine. Consuming cigarettes can cause nicotine poisoning. Many people say nicotine poisoning can cause death. Eating one cigarette will not cause death. However, nicotine poisoning in high doses can be fatal or fatal.
To test how much nicotine can cause death, a team of experts in Austria conducted an experiment. From these experiments, it is known that a person can die after eating cigarettes with nicotine doses above 1,000 milligrams. If you eat a cigarette, the amount of nicotine your body absorbs is 20 milligrams. So, new people will die after consuming about 50 cigarettes without stopping.
ALSO READ: Nicotine Addiction: Why Does It Happen and How to Overcome It?
What will happen if you eat cigarettes?
You don't die right away after eating a cigarette. However, you may experience nicotine poisoning. Each person's tolerance level for nicotine is different. For babies and children, even 5-20 milligrams of nicotine can cause nicotine poisoning symptoms. For adults, eating 40-60 milligrams of nicotine is at risk of causing poisoning.
Nicotine poisoning is usually characterized by stomach pain, headache, difficulty breathing, muscle twitching, vomiting, weakness, sweating, burning mouth, heart racing and weakness, and seizures. If the person closest to you experiences these symptoms, seek emergency help immediately.
ALSO READ: The Signs of Your Child's Nicotine Poisoning
Side effects of eating cigarettes
If you don't experience nicotine poisoning symptoms, it doesn't mean that eating cigarettes isn't dangerous for you. This habit will have a negative impact on health in the long run. The reason is, cigarettes contain approximately 4,000 active chemicals that are harmful to the body. Below are some of the most commonly reported side effects associated with eating cigarette butts.
- Cancer of the gums, tongue, mouth, cheeks and lips
- Cancer of the stomach, pancreas, and esophagus
- Tooth and gum damage
- Heart disease
- Addicted to eating cigarettes
ALSO READ: 7 Benefits of Quitting Smoking that You Can Feel Immediately