Table 1.

Nicotine absorption pharmacokinetics of different forms of nicotine administration in single doses (modified from Hukkanen et al. 2005c)

Type of nicotine administrationa	Cmaxb ng ml−1	Tmaxb,c min	Bioavailability %
Smoking (one cigarette, 5 min) (~2 mg/cigaretted)	15–30 (venous)	5–8 (venous)	80–90 (of inhaled nicotine)
	20–60 (arterial)	3–5 (arterial)
Intravenous ~5.1 mg (60 μg/kg, 30 min)	30 (venous)	30 (venous)	100
	50 (arterial)	30 (arterial)
Nasal spray 1 mg	5–8 (venous)	11–18 (venous)	60–80
	10–15 (arterial)	4–6 (arterial)
Gum (30 min, total dose in gum)
2 mg	6–9	30	78
4 mg	10–17	30	55
Inhaler 4 mg released (one 10 mg cartridge, 20 min)	8.1	30	51–56
Lozenge (20–30 min)
2 mg	4.4	60	50
4 mg	10.8	66	79
Sublingual tablet 2 mg (20–30 min)	3.8	~60	65
Tooth patch 2 mg	~3.2	~120
Transdermal patch (labeled dose)
15 mg/16 h (Nicotrol)	11–14	6–9 h	75–100
14 mg/24 h (Nicoderm)	11–16	4–7 h
21 mg/24 h (Nicoderm)	18–23	3–7 h	68
21 mg/24 h (Habitrol)	12–21	9–12 h	82
Subcutaneous injection 2.4 mg	15	25	100
Oral capsule 3–4 mg	6–8	90	44
Oral slow-release capsule (colonic absorption) 6 mg	2.2	7.5 h
Oral solution
2 mg	4.7	51
~3.0 mg (45 μg/kg)	2.9	66	20
Enema
~3.5 mg (45 μg/kg)	2.3–3.1	20–80	15–25
6 mg	6–9	45

^aProducts in italics are currently marketed in the United States

^bC_max and T_max values are for peripheral venous blood unless otherwise indicated

^cT_max values are measured from the start of the administration

^dEstimated dose of 2 mg of nicotine per cigarette is higher than the usual 1–1.5 mg per cigarette since nicotine absorption from smoking a single cigarette was studied after at least overnight abstinence from smoking in these studies