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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How Long Does Smoking Effects Stay In The Body?

hi im 5 6 150 lbs i smoke regular about 8th every week. on 8/18 i stopped smoking because i got a call for a job. i got call back and they want me to come in on 8/25 for a DOT drug screening and physical. will i pass the drug screening? the job im applying for is for Schwan s. i live in colorado and i smoke for my lower back pain
Mon, 27 Oct 2014
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Addiction Medicine Specialist 's  Response
if you mean nicotine.... most drug screenign doesn't test for nicotine but with only a few cigarettes 1) the test for cigarettes also tellls the amount and second hand smoking is equivalent to 1 cigarettte... so.... after a few days offf of 1-3 cigarettes you cannot distinguish between you smoking and someone smoking cigaretttes around you. 2) the nicotine breakdown product they test for goes away about half every 12 hrs... so.... by 3-5 days the level is quite low.

if you mean marijuana... 1-2 joints are detectable for up to a week. if you smoke a lot, or a moderate amount every day for a prolonged time, the marijuana gets built up in you and takes a much much longer time to fully get out of the system... often more than a month.
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How Long Does Smoking Effects Stay In The Body?

if you mean nicotine.... most drug screenign doesn t test for nicotine but with only a few cigarettes 1) the test for cigarettes also tellls the amount and second hand smoking is equivalent to 1 cigarettte... so.... after a few days offf of 1-3 cigarettes you cannot distinguish between you smoking and someone smoking cigaretttes around you. 2) the nicotine breakdown product they test for goes away about half every 12 hrs... so.... by 3-5 days the level is quite low. if you mean marijuana... 1-2 joints are detectable for up to a week. if you smoke a lot, or a moderate amount every day for a prolonged time, the marijuana gets built up in you and takes a much much longer time to fully get out of the system... often more than a month.