URINARY NICOTINE CONCENTRATION AS A FUNCTION OF TIME SINCE LAST CIGARETTE - IMPLICATIONS FOR DETECTING FAKING IN SMOKING CLINICS

Nicotine concentration and [nicotine]/[creatinine] were assessed in urine samples collected from smokers and nonsmokers. The smokers were asked to provide serial samples after their last cigarette and to refrain from smoking for up to 24 hr. Nicotine concentration correlated inversely with time since the last cigarette and this measure discriminated between smokers who have smoked within the past 15 hr and nonsmokers. The reliability of the procedure was adequate and a level of nicotine concentration which gives low error probabilities was suggested as a cut-off point for detecting smoking. The relative merits of different biochemical procedures for detecting smoking are briefly discussed. © 1979 Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy.