Quick answer
The Urine Cotinine (Nicotine) Test costs ₹500 at Live Line Health Care. Detects cotinine, the breakdown product of nicotine. No fasting is needed. It uses a urine sample and the report is usually ready the same day. Book home sample collection or visit any of our 45 centres.
Also known as: Cotinine Test, Nicotine Test, Urine Nicotine Test, Smoking Test, Tobacco Test, Cotinine Urine Test, Nicotine Urine Screen
What is the Urine Cotinine Test?
When you smoke, chew tobacco, use snuff or take in nicotine any other way, the liver breaks nicotine down into cotinine. Nicotine itself clears from the body within hours, but cotinine lingers for days, so it is the substance tested to find out whether someone has used tobacco or nicotine recently. In urine, cotinine is usually detectable for about 3 to 4 days after the last use, and sometimes for a week or more in heavy daily users.
This is a screening test that reports positive or negative against a fixed cut-off. It is often requested by insurance companies, employers, smoking cessation programmes and surgeons, because smoking raises the risk of complications after surgery and affects some treatments. A positive result shows nicotine exposure but not its source: cigarettes, beedis, gutka, khaini, vapes, nicotine gum and patches all give the same result. Living with a smoker does not usually make the test positive, though heavy secondhand smoke can occasionally produce a low reading.
What it measures: The presence of cotinine, the main breakdown product of nicotine, in urine above a set cut-off, commonly about 200 ng/mL. The result is reported as positive or negative.
Parameters included (1)
- Urine Cotinine (qualitative)
Why is this test done?
- Health or life insurance medicals that ask about tobacco use
- Employment or pre-surgery checks where nicotine use matters
- Confirming that a person has stopped smoking during a quit programme
- Checking nicotine exposure before some fertility, transplant or surgical treatments
When should you get tested?
- Your insurer or employer has asked for a nicotine or cotinine test
- Your surgeon has asked you to stop smoking before an operation and wants confirmation
- You are in a smoking or tobacco quit programme
- A doctor needs to confirm tobacco status before a treatment decision
How to prepare for the Urine Cotinine Test
- 1No fasting is needed, and a random urine sample at any time of day is fine.
- 2Tell the staff about nicotine replacement products such as gum, patches, lozenges or vapes, as they also produce cotinine.
- 3Do not drink unusually large amounts of water before the test. Very dilute urine can make the result less reliable.
Urine Cotinine Test normal range
| Parameter | Typical reference range |
|---|---|
| Negative | Cotinine below the cut-off, commonly about 200 ng/mL |
| Positive | Cotinine at or above the cut-off |
The cut-off depends on the test kit used. A positive result means recent nicotine exposure, not a particular source. Ranges are typical adult values and vary between labs, age and sex. Always use the range printed on your report and discuss results with your doctor.
Understanding your results
- A positive result means nicotine was used, or heavily absorbed, in roughly the last few days. It cannot separate cigarettes from chewing tobacco, vapes or nicotine replacement.
- A negative result means no recent significant nicotine exposure, but very light or occasional use more than a few days earlier may not be detected.
- Passive smoking usually gives levels below the cut-off. Very heavy exposure in a closed space can occasionally give a weak positive.
- If a result is disputed, a quantitative blood or urine cotinine test can measure the level more precisely, as your doctor or insurer advises.
Urine Cotinine Test – FAQs
What is the price of the Urine Cotinine Test?
The Urine Cotinine (Nicotine) Test costs ₹500 at Live Line Health Care, at all 45 centres and for home sample collection.
How long does nicotine stay in urine?
Nicotine itself clears in a few hours, but its breakdown product cotinine stays detectable in urine for about 3 to 4 days in most people. In heavy daily users it can take a week or more to fall below the cut-off. Exact times vary with how much and how often nicotine was used.
Does chewing tobacco or gutka show up in a cotinine test?
Yes. Chewing tobacco, gutka, khaini, snuff and paan with tobacco all contain nicotine, which the body turns into cotinine. They can give a positive result just like cigarettes or beedis. Mention any such use honestly if the test is for an insurance or medical decision.
Will nicotine gum or patches make the test positive?
Yes. Nicotine gum, patches, lozenges and vapes all produce cotinine, so the test cannot tell them apart from smoking. If you are using nicotine replacement in a quit programme, tell the doctor or insurer, who may use other measures to confirm you have stopped smoking.
Can secondhand smoke cause a positive cotinine test?
It is unusual. Living or working with smokers usually produces cotinine levels well below the cut-off used for this test. Only very heavy exposure in a closed space, such as a car or small room with several smokers, occasionally produces a weak positive.
Why do insurance companies ask for a cotinine test?
Tobacco use raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung disease and many cancers, so insurers often set different premiums for tobacco users. A cotinine test gives an objective check of recent nicotine use to go with the answers on the proposal form.
Where can I get the Urine Cotinine Test done?
At any of our 45 Live Line Health Care centres in 40 cities across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, including Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Warangal, Kakinada and Nellore, or book home sample collection.
Medical disclaimer: This information is for general awareness only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor to interpret your results and before starting or changing any treatment.