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Caffeine is relatively benign compared to nicotine. Nicotine poisoning[1] really is a thing. Also, the LD50 dosage of caffeine is ~150-200mg/kg while for nicoti

Caffeine is relatively benign compared to nicotine. Nicotine poisoning[1] really is a thing. Also, the LD50 dosage of caffeine is ~150-200mg/kg while for nicotine it’s in the range of 0.5-1mg/kg and for children it’s much lower, at 0.1mg/kg. Given these numbers, nicotine is a far mor pernicious substance than caffeine. [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_poisoning https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_poisoning

thaumasiotes 6y ago
> Also, the LD50 dosage of caffeine is ~150-200mg/kg while for nicotine it’s in the range of 0.5-1mg/kg and for children it’s much lower, at 0.1mg/kg. Given these numbers, nicotine is a far mor[e] pernicious substance than caffeine. What? That doesn't follow at all. You want to compare the LD50 (and other effects of consumption) to the amount normally consumed, not to the LD50 of some other substance. "LD50 is 1 mg/kg" is completely meaningless if you can't consume more than 0.005 mg/kg.
- woadwarrior01 6y ago
  Let’s make it simpler. If a toddler weighing 5 kilograms ingests a cup of coffee, the risk of death is minuscule. But if the same toddler were to ingest a single cigarette (I.e eat it), the toddler will almost certainly die without timely medical intervention. If you read the Wikipedia page I’d previously linked to[1], it has this quote: “58% of e-cigarette calls to US poison control centers were related to children 5 years old or less.” I’d personally witnessed a tragedy like this in my neighborhood many years ago, and because of that, I don’t let people come with packs of cigarettes into my house, because I’ve got a toddler. [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_poisoning https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_poisoning
  - stefan_ 6y ago
    Toddlers and children will also take scissors and jam them into power sockets, or drink bleach. That kind of poisoning is really beside the point.

thaumasiotes 6y ago

> Also, the LD50 dosage of caffeine is ~150-200mg/kg while for nicotine it’s in the range of 0.5-1mg/kg and for children it’s much lower, at 0.1mg/kg. Given these numbers, nicotine is a far mor[e] pernicious substance than caffeine. What? That doesn't follow at all. You want to compare the LD50 (and other effects of consumption) to the amount normally consumed, not to the LD50 of some other substance. "LD50 is 1 mg/kg" is completely meaningless if you can't consume more than 0.005 mg/kg.

woadwarrior01 6y ago
Let’s make it simpler. If a toddler weighing 5 kilograms ingests a cup of coffee, the risk of death is minuscule. But if the same toddler were to ingest a single cigarette (I.e eat it), the toddler will almost certainly die without timely medical intervention. If you read the Wikipedia page I’d previously linked to[1], it has this quote: “58% of e-cigarette calls to US poison control centers were related to children 5 years old or less.” I’d personally witnessed a tragedy like this in my neighborhood many years ago, and because of that, I don’t let people come with packs of cigarettes into my house, because I’ve got a toddler. [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_poisoning https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_poisoning
- stefan_ 6y ago
  Toddlers and children will also take scissors and jam them into power sockets, or drink bleach. That kind of poisoning is really beside the point.