How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your System?
Nicotine leaves the body quickly, but the chemical it breaks down into — cotinine — remains for much longer. Because most drug tests check for cotinine rather than nicotine itself, understanding how long both substances stay in the system is essential for anyone preparing for employment screening, life insurance tests, or medical evaluations. This article explains how long nicotine and cotinine remain detectable in blood, urine, saliva, hair, and breath, along with the factors that influence how fast the body clears them. What Happens to Nicotine After You Use It? When nicotine enters the bloodstream (usually within seconds when inhaled), the liver quickly breaks it down into more than a dozen metabolites. The most important is: Cotinine The primary biomarker used to detect nicotine use Remains in the body much…

