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Are you planning to quit smoking or vaping? Or do you have a job interview and drug test coming up? If yes, then it is natural for you to think about the nicotine level present in your body. A majority of organizations today have a no-smoking policy when hiring employees. The health check-up they conduct before hiring a candidate can also include a drug test that may also test nicotine in your body.

If the thought of nicotine present in your system is keeping you up at night, you’re in the right place. Read on and find out how long the chemical can stay in your body.

What is nicotine?

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that manufacturers extract from tobacco plants. The naturally occurring substance can also be found in other plants like eggplants, tomato, and potatoes. It is present in all tobacco products like cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and even e-cigarettes or vapes. Vaping is becoming increasingly popular among people who want a holistic, healthy change in their lifestyle. You can get a high-grade vape or vape juice from Hangsen UK.

The chemical can act as a stimulant as well as a relaxant. It can induce effects like calmness, change the mood, and also heightened alertness. A majority of people smoke to enjoy the effects of nicotine.

How long can nicotine stay in your body?

When you smoke a cigarette, the nicotine is absorbed in the body through the lungs. A few times, the nicotine can be absorbed by the membranes in the mouth and throat as well. People who chew tobacco have nicotine in their gastrointestinal tract or skin.

The length of time that nicotine can stay in your body depends upon the drug’s half-life. It is the amount of time that it takes for 50% of the nicotine to leave your system. Nicotine has a half-life of 2 hours, whereas cotinine, another alkaloid present in tobacco, has a half-life of 15 hours.

Here is how long nicotine can stay in various body parts:

1.       Blood:

A majority of companies do a blood test before hiring employees because it is the most reliable way to detect nicotine use. A blood test can detect not only nicotine but also its metabolites, like cotinine and anabasine. After only an hour of inhalation, nicotine can start showing up in the bloodstream. It is present in the blood for only 48 hours while cotinine can be detectable for almost 3 weeks.

2.       Saliva:

Saliva tests are also very common when people have to detect the level of nicotine in the body. To conduct the test, a technician swabs the inside of your mouth to test the oral fluids for traces of nicotine. The method can have two issues, dry mouth or excessive salivation and pose a problem while collecting a sample. Cotinine can show up in your saliva test for a minimum of 7 days after use. But if you are a heavy smoker, traces of it can be detected for even 14 days.

3.       Urine:

On average, nicotine can be detected in your urine for about three days. For regular smokers, the urine may have detectable nicotine levels for over as long as 15 to 20 days. Similarly, cotinine levels in your urine can vary greatly depending upon the amount of nicotine you use. It can start returning to an average level within ten days after you smoked last.     

4.       Hair:

Much like other body parts, your hair can also detect nicotine use. The test requires removing a small amount of hair that is tested for repeated use of nicotine in the past 90 days. Some nicotine tests can test the presence of nicotine in your hair for up to a year after your last smoke. Hair tests are not quite common today since they are expensive.    

What can you do to clear nicotine from your system?

If you are a regular smoker and have to undergo a drug test, it is best to abstain from tobacco and nicotine altogether. But if you have smoked recently, you can speed up the process of clearing your system with some easy tips:

·       Drink plenty of water:

The best way to cleanse your kidney and liver for all kinds of toxins is by drinking plenty of water. You can increase your water intake so that the nicotine goes out of your body through urine.

·       Consume a diet rich in antioxidants:

A healthy diet full of antioxidants can boost your metabolism and remove toxins and help repair the body.

·       Exercise more:

Indulging in exercises can also help improve blood circulation and get the waste out through sweat.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to finding the time that nicotine will stay in the system, no rule of thumb applies to all. Your history of usage, age, diet, and the type of tobacco product you use can impact the breakdown of nicotine by your body.  From days to a few weeks, nicotine can stay in your body for several days. If you have to undergo a drug test, check the minimum amount of time it’ll take for nicotine to leave your body and drink plenty of water.