How long does nicotine stay in your system? Detection times and testing
Generally, it takes 1 to 3 days after you stop smoking tobacco for nicotine to clear your blood system and up to 10 days for cotinine (the major nicotine metabolite) to be eliminated. This is an estimate because people metabolize nicotine differently depending on their genetics, smoking frequency, how much you inhale, nicotine content, and the type of nicotine product.
Cotinine is the substance most often tested for with nicotine screening tests. Cotinine is the primary nicotine breakdown product and appears to have pharmacological effects, although more research is needed. Cotinine testing is preferred because it's much more stable than nicotine and remains detectable longer in the body. The only reason you would have cotinine in your body is if you have used or smoked nicotine products.
How long does nicotine stay in urine testing?
After quitting tobacco products, both nicotine and cotinine will be cleared from your urine within 3 to 4 days. Cotinine persists in urine longer in people who smoke menthol cigarettes or who are exposed regularly to second-hand smoke from menthol cigarettes.
How long does nicotine stay in saliva testing?
Nicotine can stay in saliva for up to 4 days and saliva nicotine tests are the most sensitive method to detect recent nicotine use.
How long does nicotine stay in hair follicle testing?
Hair nicotine testing can detect nicotine for 1 to 3 months after a person stops using tobacco; in chronic users, it may detect nicotine for up to 12 months. Hair follicle tests are the most reliable way to determine if somebody has been using nicotine long-term.
How long does nicotine stay in breast milk?
Nicotine quickly enters breastmilk in high concentrations during smoking but within 2 hours it has reduced by half. Complete nicotine elimination from breast milk takes about 10 hours.
What if I’m using nicotine replacement therapy?
If you are using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help quit smoking tobacco, then you may be given a comprehensive test that looks for anabasine in addition to nicotine and cotinine. Anabasine is a substance present in tobacco but not NRT products.
If the comprehensive test returns a positive result for anabasine, then this shows that you are still using tobacco because it wouldn’t show up if you were just using NRT.
How do nicotine drug tests work?
Nicotine tests are either qualitative (look for the presence or absence of nicotine) or quantitative (measures how much nicotine or cotinine is in your body). Quantitative nicotine tests can tell whether you are an active smoker or have recently quit smoking. They can also determine exposure to secondhand smoke exposure if you are not a tobacco user.
Who would require a nicotine screening test?
Nicotine tests are not as common as standard drug tests but may be required:
- Before certain surgical procedures
- By the court in child custody cases
- For employment screening
- For smoking cessation programs
- If your doctor suspects nicotine poisoning
- When applying for health or life insurance.
What do nicotine test results mean?
- No nicotine detected: No tobacco exposure for several weeks including no secondhand smoke exposure.
- Low-level nicotine detected: Secondhand smoke exposure (non-tobacco users) or tobacco use within the last week (but not within the last few days)
- Moderate nicotine levels detected: Stopped smoking within the last few days.
- High nicotine levels detected: Stopped smoking within the last few hours.
References
- Nicotine Cotinine (Urine) University of Rochester Medical Center https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contentid=nicotine_cotinine&contenttypeid=167
- Cotinine: Pharmacologically Active Metabolite of Nicotine and Neural Mechanisms for Its Actions Front. Behav. Neurosci., 21 October 2021. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.758252/full
- Nicotine and Cotinine Test. Testing.com https://www.testing.com/tests/nicotine-and-cotinine/
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