How Long Does Nicotine Stay In Your System For Drug Testing?

Nicotine can be detected in your system from anywhere between three days to several months. It depends upon how much you smoke, how long you've smoked for, and what type of test is administered.

Generally, employers and other testing agencies use a urinalysis test to determine the levels of nicotine, if any, in a person.

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in the Body For?
If you're only an occasional smoker, and when you light up it's just a cigarette or two - the typical social smoker - then the nicotine will generally be clear of your system in three to four days.

For people who smoke steadily, or who have a long history of smoking, it's going to take longer to clear the nicotine from your system. One week to two weeks is a good ballpark figure, but for those with a long history of heavy smoking, you may be looking at twenty days or longer.

How Is It Possible to Detect Nicotine in the Body?
These results are based on testing by urinalysis. Blood testing can detect much smaller amounts, so the time frames lengthen quite a bit. After nicotine enters your blood system, your body converts, (or metabolizes) it into a substance called cotinine. This is actually the substance the blood test measures.

Your body does not clear blood through your system via the liver as fast as urine passes through your system. That's why blood tests can detect substances for longer periods of time than can urine tests.

A third test, a hair test, can analyze substances retained in a person's hair. This test is expensive and is rarely administered, but can detect substances months or even years after a person has stopped using.

How soon a person has to stop using nicotine before a drug test will vary, but for the average person undergoing a urinalysis, twenty days is a good estimate, unless you're a heavy smoker with a long history of smoking. Blood and hair tests take longer, of course, so it might be a good idea to find out what type of testing will be done so you can give yourself the best odds of passing.

People... It only takes 4 days for the cotinine to get out of your system if you:

1. Jog 1-2 miles a day for those 4 days. Sweating increases, thus the cotinine leaves your body quicker.
2. Drink 1 gallon of water a day. You urinate, thus the cotinine leaves your body quicker.
3. Stop using tobacco (including chewing tobacco).

Think about it. If anything leaves your body; sweat, urine, feces, your body doesn't want it there. Cotinine leaves your body quickly; much quicker than THC (but that's another story, similar process). Four days people, four days. Stick to what I tell you and you will pass the test.

Oh... Down with these corrupt insurance companies that have hospitals where they want them. I said my peace.

Trace nicotine can stay in your system for 20 or more days. Usually if the employer is testing using urinalysis, then your system is likely to show clear of nicotine in two to three days if you are an occasional user, or if when you use, you only use a small amount, or your history of using tobacco goes back less than six months.

Your system is likely to show clear of nicotine in three to five days if you use once or twice a week, or if when you use, you use a moderate to large amount, or your history of using tobacco is more than six months, but less than a year.

If you smoke most days of the week, or if when you use, you use a moderate to large amount , or your history of using tobacco is greater than one year, then your system is likely to show clear of nicotine in five to ten days.

If the employer uses a hair test, the amount of time for your hair to show clear increases, but most employers don't use that method because it's pretty expensive.

You can help flush nicotine more quickly from your system by drinking lots of citrus beverages, high in Vitamin C during the first several days, along with moderate amounts of water. Vitamin C speeds up the metabolism of nictoine by your body, and of course the fluids will help with the excretion of that metabolized nicotine through your urine. I hope this helps. Good luck!

According to my orthopaedic surgeon, nicotine will stay in your system for 4 weeks whether you smoke a pack a day or one cigarette a day.  They will not do a spinal fusion on my back until my test comes back clear, yes I did try to get away with it.  Not only will it show up in your urine if you are a regular smoker, but if they do a blood test even the smallest traces of nicotine are in there.

Well from everyone's answers it seems if you stop for at least a month and get those energy-c packets and drink plenty of water and orange juice you should be in the clear. I am getting gastric bypass and this has all been very very helpful, thanks!

It takes about 2 to 3 weeks to filter out of the blood, the urine only takes a few days.

Nicotine stays in the blood and urine 2-4 days on average. It can be detectable in the system for up to 21 days.

So I have been surprised with a job interview for a position I had applied for close to a year ago. SURPRISE!!! At the time, I was clean. For months and months after I was clean. Currently, I am not "clean" (tobacco and THC) and will be tested for the only substances I use. I have no choice but to get fake piss. Forget all of this "trickery" GET SOMEONES CLEAN PISS.

Trust me it will be there for a while, you have a lot of pores and other openings that can trap things in the mouth and blood stream for quite some time, your tongue also traps scents etc.. The best to you.