2 Florida correctional officers forced inmates to eat cigarettes, report states

ORLANDO, Fla. — Two correctional officers in Florida forced inmates to eat cigarettes, which could have been deadly, according to investigators.

One of the inmates spoke up in September 2019, which triggered a months-long investigation. In a report, the inmate said an officer woke him and two others up one night and took them to where there weren't any surveillance cameras and "forced him to eat 10 cigarettes," according to the investigation report.

The prison’s medical services director told investigators the consumption of large amounts of tobacco can cause nicotine poisoning, which could be lethal.

According to the report, four inmates said they'd testify about how the same officer and his supervisor regularly forced them to eat tobacco.