# Fastest-acting, most lethal poisons

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fastest-acting-most-lethal-poisons/404630>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 18, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fastest-acting-most-lethal-poisons/404630 "2007-05-18T18:37:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fastest-acting-most-lethal-poisons/404630/1 "2007-05-18T18:37:44Z")

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[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/070518.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/070518.html)

Interesting article. Some nasty stuff out there! Here’s a semi-related thread we had awhile ago: [CIA suicide pills and legal executions - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=389120)

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**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fastest-acting-most-lethal-poisons/404630/2 "2007-05-18T19:05:44Z")

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I’m surpised Cecil didn’t mention soap operas. Nothing more damaging to the human species. Poison I tell you!

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**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2007, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fastest-acting-most-lethal-poisons/404630/3 "2007-05-24T08:48:27Z")

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Did Cecil make a boo-boo?. He says “A compound with a relatively high LD-50 might be carcinogenic and therefore deadlier in the long run, nicotine offering the salient example.” I think he means tobacco - nicotine is a very weak carcinogen if at all, so it cannot be regarded as salient.

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**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2007, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fastest-acting-most-lethal-poisons/404630/4 "2007-05-24T09:46:57Z")

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slight correction on my correction - nicotine itself probably isnt carcinogenic. However some of its metabolites probably are.