The amount of nicotine in a single cigarette generally ranges from about 6 mg on the low end to as high as 28 mg in some brands. On average, most cigarettes contain roughly 10 to 12 mg of nicotine
. However, not all of this nicotine is absorbed by the smoker. Typically, a smoker inhales about 1.1 to 1.8 mg of nicotine per cigarette, depending on factors like smoking habits and cigarette characteristics
. For a standard pack of 20 cigarettes, this translates to an inhaled nicotine amount of approximately 22 to 36 mg
. In summary:
- Nicotine content per cigarette: approximately 6–28 mg (average around 10–12 mg)
- Nicotine absorbed per cigarette: about 1.1–1.8 mg
- Nicotine absorbed per pack (20 cigarettes): about 22–36 mg
This variability is influenced by cigarette brand, size, and smoking behavior
