A bloodwork question..?

Question

can u tell if u have nicotine or if u smoked by a blood test?

Answer 1

Yes, they have these tests.  However, it's not a common test, and it certainly wouldn't be administered without a good reason.  A regular drug screen, for example, wouldn't pick it up.  Also, nicotine doesn't stay in the blood for long, so it would be fairly easy to pass.

Answer 2

i know that tobacco produces noticeable changes in your body chemistry. blood test tho, i dont know. i would think maybe yes.

Answer 3

I don't think so.  There may be a blood test, but it would be expensive and generally not all that useful.  Most of the information about smoking comes from patient report, but you can also usually tell just by looking at someone.

If someone smokes, they will probably have slightly yellow teeth, slightly yellow fingers (especially the ones nearest the cigarette), and slightly yellow fingernails.  In my experience, too, most people who smoke a fair amount smell like smoke much of the time.

Some blood tests that point to smoking, though are:

1.  elevated ESR, a sign of inflammation

2.  elevated RBC count, to make up for low oxygen in the lungs

3.  elevated methoxyhemoglobin, a form of carbon monoxide bound in the blood

Answer 4

I'm not an expert, but I believe that the usual test for smoking is to test for cotinine, a nicotine breakdown product, in the urine.