Absorption and metabolism of nicotine from cigarettes.

Eight men volunteers each smoked a single cirgarette containing 14C-nicotine and gave arterial blood samples during and for 50 minutes after smoking. The maximum concentration of nicotine in the arterial blood ranged from 31 to 41 mug/l in four regular cigarette smokers who inhaled. Two non-smokers achieved maximum levels of 2 and 4 mug/l. On a separate occasion two of the inhalers received 1 mg. 14C-nicotine in 10 divided doses injected intravenously. In both cases the peak arterial nicotine concentrations bore a similar relationship to the intravenous dose, as did the peak nicotine concentrations to the retained doses during smoking.