Staff Reports are written by the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board, Cecil's online auxiliary. Though the SDSAB does its best, these columns are edited by Ed Zotti, not Cecil, so accuracywise you'd better keep your fingers crossed.
How Many MG Of Nicotine In A Cigarette. Cigarettes contain anywhere from 8 mg of nicotine up to 20 mg of nicotine. Most cigarettes are at the lower end of the spectrum, which puts the average amount on nicotine in one cigarette at 12 mg. While the total amount of nicotine in a cigarette may vary, the amount that you actually absorb is relatively constant.
1, 4. Cigarettes have an average nicotine content of about 8.4 milligrams. Many brands of cigars contain at least 10 to 20 times that amount and some can contain 50 times the amount of nicotine as cigarettes. 3. When cigar and cigarette smokers inhale, the nicotine is absorbed rapidly.