How long does nicotine stay in your system?
Nicotine levels in the blood drop by half in about 2 hours, but the liver turns nicotine into cotinine, which takes about 16 hours to drop by half and stays measurable for 3 to 4 days (Benowitz, 2009). After a puff, nicotine reaches the brain in 10 to 20 seconds.
Schematic drawing, not to scale. Dotted curves are estimates or calculations based on published peaks and half-lives (Benowitz, 2009; St Helen, 2016).
How long does nicotine stay in your system?
A dose of nicotine, from the mouth to the brain, then to the liver. Choose a situation, then tap a label on the drawing to find out what it is.
Sources: speed to the brain, peaks, half-lives and cotinine (Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009); receptors and dopamine (Benowitz, N Engl J Med, 2010); vape (St Helen et al., Addiction, 2016); replacement products (Hartmann-Boyce et al., Cochrane, 2018). Drawing not to scale; curve shapes and scene timings: estimates. Pulse next to the heart: +8 bpm with the vape according to St Helen (2016); the starting pulse (70 bpm) and the rise with the cigarette (+10) or the gum (+4) are our own rough estimate, to be checked.
Keyboard: 1 to 3 situations, Space pause, L slow motion, R restart, ← → previous or next step.
Frequently asked questions about nicotine
How long does nicotine stay in the blood?
Nicotine levels in the blood drop by half in about 2 hours, so almost none is left after a day without smoking or vaping (Benowitz, 2009). In someone who smokes all day, it builds up: 10 to 50 ng/ml in the afternoon. The time varies from person to person: women clear it a little faster than men, and pregnancy speeds it up even more.
How long can cotinine be detected?
Cotinine, what the liver makes from nicotine, stays measurable for about 3 to 4 days, because it takes 16 hours to drop by half (Benowitz, 2009). In a smoker, it averages 250 to 300 ng/ml in the blood; a nonsmoker is below 3 ng/ml in the blood or below 50 ng/ml in the urine. The heavier the use, the longer it takes to fall below these thresholds.
What does nicotine do to the brain?
Nicotine binds to receptors on nerve cells, mainly the ones called α4β2, and triggers the release of dopamine, a messenger linked to pleasure and the urge to do it again (Benowitz, 2010). Over time, these receptors get used to it. When nicotine drops, during the night for example, they wake up and the craving comes back: that is why the first cigarette of the morning often matters so much.
How long does nicotine withdrawal last?
Withdrawal symptoms are at their worst during the first week and usually last 2 to 4 weeks (Hughes, 2007). The best-established ones are anger, anxiety, low mood, trouble concentrating, impatience, restless sleep and the need to move. Nicotine replacement products (patches, gum, lozenges) help, raising the chances of quitting by 50 to 60% (Hartmann-Boyce, 2018).
Does vaping deliver as much nicotine as a cigarette?
It can deliver almost as much: in 13 experienced vapers, 15 puffs delivered 1.33 mg of nicotine, compared with about 1 to 1.5 mg for a cigarette (St Helen, 2016; Benowitz, 2009). The blood peak was lower, 8.4 ng/ml on average, but everything depends on the device, the liquid and the way of vaping. E-liquids are concentrated: for children under 6, U.S. poison centers received 8,269 calls about e-liquids between 2012 and April 2017, mostly for swallowed liquid (Govindarajan, 2018).
True or false?
Nicotine from a cigarette reaches the brain within seconds.
True. After a puff, it passes from the lungs into the blood and reaches the brain in 10 to 20 seconds, faster than an injection into a vein (Benowitz, 2009).
Nicotine replacement products don't really help people quit smoking.
False. In 133 trials with 64,640 people, patches, gum, lozenges and sprays raised the chances of quitting by 50 to 60% (Hartmann-Boyce, 2018).
A vape always delivers much less nicotine than a cigarette.
False. In 13 experienced vapers, 15 puffs delivered 1.33 mg of nicotine, a dose close to that of a cigarette, even though the blood peak was lower (St Helen, 2016).
This page as text
The same information as the charts, to read without animation: for each chart, the values at the main moments, then the notes with their level of evidence.
Cigarette, vape, gum or patch: which one rises fastest?
Through the lungs, nicotine rises within minutes; through the mouth, in about 30 minutes; through the skin, over several hours. The peaks come from studies; the shapes of the curves are estimated. Top of the chart: 25 ng/ml.
| Minutes after a dose, hours after the last one, or days after quitting | Cigarette (estimated) (dotted) | Vape, 15 puffs (estimated) (dotted) | 4 mg gum (estimated) (dotted) | Patch (estimated) (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dose | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 min after the dose: cigarette 0 ng/ml, vape 0, 4 mg gum 0, patch 0 (estimates) |
| 10 min | 68 | 30 | 20 | 0 | after the dose: cigarette 17 ng/ml, vape 7.5, 4 mg gum 5, patch 0.1 (estimates) |
| 30 min | 46 | 22 | 52 | 0 | after the dose: cigarette 11.5 ng/ml, vape 5.6, 4 mg gum 13, patch 0.1 (estimates) |
| 60 min | 38 | 18 | 48 | 2 | after the dose: cigarette 9.5 ng/ml, vape 4.6, 4 mg gum 12, patch 0.5 (estimates) |
| 90 min | 32 | 16 | 40 | 8 | after the dose: cigarette 8 ng/ml, vape 3.9, 4 mg gum 10, patch 2 (estimates) |
| 120 min | 27 | 13 | 32 | 16 | after the dose: cigarette 6.8 ng/ml, vape 3.2, 4 mg gum 8, patch 4 (estimates) |
Key points
- In the brain in 10 to 20 seconds (Up to 10 min, Shown in humans)
After a puff, nicotine goes from the lungs into the blood, then to the brain in 10 to 20 seconds, faster than an injection into a vein. Source: Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, "Nicotine chemistry, metabolism, kinetics and biomarkers," Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009 - Cigarette: a fast peak (Up to 30 min, Shown in humans)
A cigarette delivers about 1 to 1.5 mg of nicotine to the body. In the veins, the peak reaches 15 to 30 ng/ml near the end of the cigarette; in the arteries, it is higher, 20 to 60 ng/ml. Source: Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, "Nicotine chemistry, metabolism, kinetics and biomarkers," Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009 - Vape: a lower peak, a similar dose (Up to 30 min, Shown in humans)
In 13 experienced vapers, 15 puffs delivered 1.33 mg of nicotine on average, 94% of it retained by the body. The average peak was 8.4 ng/ml, reached in 2 to 5 minutes, and the heart beat 8 more times per minute. Source: St Helen et al., "Nicotine delivery, retention and pharmacokinetics from various electronic cigarettes," Addiction, 2016 - Gum: through the mouth, in 30 minutes (From 10 to 60 min, Shown in humans)
Nicotine from gum passes through the lining of the mouth, more slowly. Peak at about 30 minutes: 6 to 9 ng/ml with 2 mg, 10 to 17 ng/ml with 4 mg. Source: Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, "Nicotine chemistry, metabolism, kinetics and biomarkers," Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009 - Patch: slow but steady (From 45 min, Shown in humans)
The patch takes about 1 hour to start working; its peak comes between 3 and 12 hours, then the level stays around 10 to 20 ng/ml. Source: Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, "Nicotine chemistry, metabolism, kinetics and biomarkers," Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009 - Estimated curves (Throughout, Hypothesis)
The peaks and their timing come from studies; the exact shape of the curves is estimated and varies a lot from person to person.
After the last dose, how long do nicotine and cotinine stay?
Nicotine drops by half in about 2 hours; cotinine, what the liver makes from it, in about 16 hours. These curves are a calculation using these average half-lives.
| Minutes after a dose, hours after the last one, or days after quitting | Nicotine (calculation) (dotted) | Cotinine (calculation) (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| last dose | 100 | 100 | 0 h after the last dose: nicotine 100% of the starting level, cotinine 100%, or about 275 ng/ml in a smoker (calculation) |
| 12 h | 2 | 60 | after the last dose: nicotine 1.6% of the starting level, cotinine 59%, or about 164 ng/ml in a smoker (calculation) |
| 24 h | 0 | 35 | after the last dose: nicotine 0% of the starting level, cotinine 35%, or about 97 ng/ml in a smoker (calculation) |
| 2 d | 0 | 12 | 48 h after the last dose: nicotine 0% of the starting level, cotinine 13%, or about 34 ng/ml in a smoker (calculation) |
| 3 d | 0 | 4 | 72 h after the last dose: nicotine 0% of the starting level, cotinine 4.4%, or about 12 ng/ml in a smoker (calculation) |
| 4 d | 0 | 2 | 96 h after the last dose: nicotine 0% of the starting level, cotinine 1.6%, or about 4.3 ng/ml in a smoker (calculation) |
Key points
- A 2-hour half-life (Up to 10 h, Shown in humans)
Nicotine levels drop by half in about 2 hours. With one cigarette after another, it builds up during the day: 10 to 50 ng/ml in the afternoon in a smoker. Source: Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, "Nicotine chemistry, metabolism, kinetics and biomarkers," Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009 - The liver turns it into cotinine (Up to 24 h, Shown in humans)
The liver, mainly with the enzyme CYP2A6, turns 70 to 80% of nicotine into cotinine. Source: Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, "Nicotine chemistry, metabolism, kinetics and biomarkers," Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009 - Cotinine: 16 hours to drop by half (From 10 h, Shown in humans)
In smokers, blood cotinine averages 250 to 300 ng/ml. With its 16-hour half-life, it reflects what was smoked over the last 3 to 4 days. Source: Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, "Nicotine chemistry, metabolism, kinetics and biomarkers," Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009 - Still measurable after 4 days? (From 48 h, Hypothesis)
Starting from 275 ng/ml, it takes about 104 hours, a little over 4 days, to fall below 3 ng/ml, the blood level that separates smokers from nonsmokers (calculation). Heavy smokers test positive for longer. Source: Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, "Nicotine chemistry, metabolism, kinetics and biomarkers," Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009 - Not the same for everyone (Throughout, Shown in humans)
Women clear it faster than men, and the birth control pill speeds this up further. During pregnancy, nicotine is cleared 60% faster and cotinine 140% faster. Source: Benowitz, Hukkanen and Jacob, "Nicotine chemistry, metabolism, kinetics and biomarkers," Handb Exp Pharmacol, 2009
After quitting, how long does nicotine withdrawal last?
Nicotine has left the blood within a day, cotinine within a few days. Withdrawal is strongest in the first week, then eases over 2 to 4 weeks. Nicotine and cotinine: calculation; withdrawal: estimate.
| Minutes after a dose, hours after the last one, or days after quitting | Nicotine (calculation) (dotted) | Cotinine (calculation) (dotted) | Withdrawal (estimated) (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| quit | 100 | 100 | 0 | Day 0 after quitting: nicotine 100%, cotinine 100%, withdrawal almost gone (estimate) |
| 3 d | 0 | 4 | 100 | Day 3 after quitting: nicotine 0%, cotinine 4.4%, withdrawal at its worst (estimate) |
| 1 wk | 0 | 0 | 80 | Day 7 after quitting: nicotine 0%, cotinine 0.1%, withdrawal at its worst (estimate) |
| 2 wk | 0 | 0 | 45 | Day 14 after quitting: nicotine 0%, cotinine 0%, withdrawal still clear (estimate) |
| 3 wk | 0 | 0 | 25 | Day 21 after quitting: nicotine 0%, cotinine 0%, withdrawal milder (estimate) |
| 4 wk | 0 | 0 | 12 | Day 28 after quitting: nicotine 0%, cotinine 0%, withdrawal almost gone (estimate) |
| 5 wk | 0 | 0 | 8 | Day 35 after quitting: nicotine 0%, cotinine 0%, withdrawal almost gone (estimate) |
Key points
- Signs of withdrawal (Up to day 7, Shown in humans)
Anger, anxiety, low mood, trouble concentrating, impatience, restless sleep, the need to move: these are the best-established signs of withdrawal. Source: Hughes, "Effects of abstinence from tobacco: valid symptoms and time course," Nicotine Tob Res, 2007 - At its worst in week 1 (Up to day 14, Shown in humans)
These signs are at their worst in the first week and usually last 2 to 4 weeks. Source: Hughes, "Effects of abstinence from tobacco: valid symptoms and time course," Nicotine Tob Res, 2007 - Why the craving pulls (Up to day 7, Shown in humans)
With nicotine, the brain's receptors go to sleep; without it, they wake up and the craving comes back. That is also why the first cigarette of the morning matters so much. Source: Benowitz, "Nicotine addiction," N Engl J Med, 2010 - Other possible effects (From day 3, Shown in humans)
Constipation, cough, dizziness, more dreams and mouth ulcers can also happen. They don't last. Source: Hughes, "Effects of abstinence from tobacco: valid symptoms and time course," Nicotine Tob Res, 2007 - Nicotine replacement helps (Throughout, Shown in humans)
In 133 trials with 64,640 people, nicotine replacement products (patches, gum, lozenges, sprays) raised the chances of quitting by 50 to 60%. Source: Hartmann-Boyce et al., "Nicotine replacement therapy versus control for smoking cessation," Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2018 - An estimated withdrawal curve (Throughout, Hypothesis)
Its shape follows the published timing; its level varies a lot from person to person and depends on the usual dose.
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Metabolive. "How long does nicotine stay in your system?" Updated October 29, 2026. https://metabolive.com/en/everyday/nicotine.
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