Smoking and Tobacco

How Long after Quitting Smoking 03/03/2011

Question:

How long after quitting smoking does it take for your carbon monoxide levels to return to normal and nicotine is out of your system?

Answer:

Carbon monoxide and nicotine are two markers of cigarette smoking. The time for any product to clear from the body depends on the amount in your system when you decide to quit smoking. Higher levels in your body will take longer to clear. Carbon monoxide and nicotine would generally be cleared in a day or so. A breakdown product of nicotine is called cotinine, which could take several days to a week to clear from your system. 

 
If your question is how quickly your body will recover from the effects of cigarette smoking, that will be considerably longer. So when you quit, plan on not smoking again so your body can continue to recover.

For more information:

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Response by:

Karen L Ahijevych, PhD, RN, FAAN Professor at The College of Nursing Professor at The College of Public Health Associate Dean for Academic Affairs College of Nursing The Ohio State University