How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your System?

Nicotine can be traced in saliva for up to four days, in blood for about 10 days, in urine for up to three weeks and in hair for up to three months.
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Nicotine is the addictive chemical found in cigarettes and other tobacco products. When you smoke, your body breaks down nicotine and turns it into cotinine. Cotinine is the chemical metabolite that lab technicians look for when screening for nicotine use.

The length of time that a drug remains in your body depends on the drug’s half-life, which is the amount of time it takes for 50 percent of the substance to leave your system. Mayo Medical Laboratories states that cotinine has a half-life of about 15 hours, while nicotine has a half-life of about two hours.

In general, nicotine stays in the body longer than LSD, Adderall and methamphetamine. Cotinine can be detected in various test samples, including urine, blood and saliva. But the time it remains detectable in each sample type varies.

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Urine?

Cotinine levels in urine begin to return to normal about seven to 10 days after you last smoked, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. If you smoke regularly, it may take up to three weeks for the cotinine to clear your system.

Testing urine samples for cotinine is the most widely used method of detection. According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, four to six times more cotinine can be found in urine than in blood or saliva.

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Blood?

Nicotine can appear in the bloodstream about an hour after inhalation. A 2017 article reviewed by the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois stated that cotinine can be detected in your blood for up to 10 days after you quit.

Although a blood test is an invasive procedure, measuring cotinine in blood is the most reliable way to detect nicotine use. It is also the preferred method for determining nicotine exposure among nonsmokers.

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Saliva?

Cotinine can be traced in saliva for up to four days after last use, according to a report by Smith County, Texas.

Measuring cotinine in saliva is a noninvasive approach that is well-tolerated by patients. A 2011 study published in the journal Therapeutic Drug Monitoring stated that saliva tests minimize the risk for tampering.

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Hair?

Various drugs, including nicotine, can be found in your hair for up to 90 days after ingestion. Some tests can identify nicotine in your hair for up to a year after last exposure.

Testing for nicotine in hair is not as common as testing urine, saliva or blood. Hair examinations generally cost more. But hair tests have longer drug detection windows than tests of urine, blood or saliva.

Can Secondhand Smoke Show Up On a Drug Test?

Secondhand smoke is exposure to the smoke from someone else’s cigarette. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, inhaling secondhand smoke can lead to breathing problems, heart disease and a variety of cancers.

Cotinine can be traced in nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke. It can be detected in saliva, blood and urine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A 2012 study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine examined the prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure in nearly 500 children and infants in a city with a 12 percent smoking rate.

Using plasma testing, evidence of cotinine was detected in 55 percent of the children. Researchers also identified 70 children in the sample who experienced wheezing and possibly developed asthma caused by secondhand smoke.

Factors That Influence How Long Nicotine Stays in Your Body

People break down nicotine at different rates. The time it takes to clear the chemical and its metabolites from the body depends on many factors, including age, sex, diet, type of tobacco product used and history of nicotine use.

The Type of Tobacco Product Used

Some tobacco products introduce more nicotine into your system than others. For example, a 2003 study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research indicated that cigarette smokers had higher levels of nicotine and cotinine in their system than hookah and bidi smokers.

History of Nicotine Use

Regular smokers break down nicotine more slowly than nonsmokers because tobacco smoke may contain substances that slow down the metabolism of nicotine. Compared to nonsmokers or occasional smokers, it takes people with nicotine addiction longer to eliminate the chemical.

Diet

Food affects nicotine metabolism. A 2005 study published in the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics found that meals can decrease nicotine concentrations in tobacco users. In fact, 40 percent of nicotine clears from the body after a meal.

Age

The older you are, the longer it can take for nicotine to leave your system. People 65 and older do not metabolize the chemical as quickly as younger people. Reduced blood flow in the liver might contribute to this slower metabolism of nicotine.

Sex

An American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics study indicated that the half-life of cotinine was shorter in women than in men, which suggests that it clears more quickly in women. Pregnancy also speeds up the elimination of nicotine from the body.

If you are addicted to nicotine, the drug may not clear from your system for many weeks. Smoking has a number of health, social and financial consequences, and it can lead to premature death. It is never too late to quit. If you’re ready to commit to a nicotine-free lifestyle, learn more about ways to quit smoking.



Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

Author
Matt Gonzales
Content Writer, DrugRehab.com
Matt Gonzales is a writer and researcher for DrugRehab.com. He graduated with a degree in journalism from East Carolina University and began his professional writing career in 2011. Matt covers the latest drug trends and shares inspirational stories of people who have overcome addiction. Certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in health literacy, Matt leverages his experience in addiction research to provide hope to those struggling with substance use disorders.
@bymattjgonzales
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