American Indians have long revered lobelia. The plant has been called Indian tobacco because it was smoked by North American Indians, to relieve asthma and other respiratory conditions. Early settlers to America learned to value it with the same esteem, and it was considered a panacea of many ailments. The plant has had a colourful, and clouded, herbal history. Many herbalists vouched for its efficacy, while allopathic practitioners and authorities hounded the herbalists, declaring it was a poison.

Despite the many benefits of lobelia, laws were legislated to restrict the sale of lobelia and list it as a poison. In Australia, lobelia is restricted for sale as preparations to the public. It is available as a homeopathic remedy from a qualified practitioner, and medical doctors may prescribe it in some circumstances. For the individual, it is available as seeds and plants to grow, and use. Every person wishing to use the herb should research it before using, or take under the guidance of a herbalist.

James Duke Ph.D. in ?The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook? refers to lobelia as having hazardous compounds, with 1g creating toxicity, and 4g causing death. Perhaps it is the way lobelia is administered which can create a purging action, which to the onlooker, appears to be disgustingly obnoxious; and to the authorities this may look like symptoms of poisoning with vomiting, and could have brought restrictions on the herb. But what this purging does, if administered correctly, is yes - a perk - but then relief from pain and suffering, and a feeling of wellbeing. Perhaps the authorities find it too hard to fathom the paradoxical effect, that it can be a powerful stimulant, and a relaxant within the same herb.

The alkaloid lobeline is responsible for most of lobelia's actions. Lobeline has been used as a traditional herbal approach to help people stop smoking. Results of human trials using lobeline for smoking cessation have been mixed and generally negative.3 Preliminary trials suggest lobeline may improve lung function, perhaps by its abilities to reduce bronchial constriction and to thin mucus so that it can be coughed out.

Lobelia frequently causes nausea and vomiting when the amount used is too high. Generally, more than 1 ml of tincture or acetract taken at one time will cause nausea and possibly vomiting and should be avoided. Although lobelia has a reputation for being toxic, a thorough review of the medical literature was unable to find any well-documented case of serious problems or death due to lobelia. This may be because a toxic amount cannot be ingested without first causing vomiting. Signs of lobelia poisoning may include weakness, heartburn, weak pulse, difficulty breathing, and collapse.8 Nevertheless, lobelia should not be used for more than one month consecutively and should be avoided during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Due to its emetic (vomit-inducing) actions, lobelia should be used cautiously with children under the age of six years.