> A compound with a relatively high LD-50 might be carcinogenic and
> therefore deadlier in the long run, nicotine offering the salient example.
Someone else points out that nicotine itself isn’t carcinogenic. But it
is a pretty good poison – “relative” compared to what? According to
Wikipedia: 40-60mg can kill a man. That amount of nicotine is present
in 3-4 cigarettes, though only about 1mg/cigarette is absorbed by
smoking (heat destroys most of it). But kids wind up in the E.R. all the
time from eating cigarette butts.
-Carl
