Cotinine

A major metabolite of nicotine with a long half life. It is a breakdown product of nicotine. Cotinine is widely used as a quantitative biomarker of cigarette smoking. It is an objective measurement and provides more accurate prevalence rates than smoking histories or from counting the number of cigarettes smoked per day. A study reported in 2001 by the US Centers for Disease Control (the CDC) showed the blood level of cotinine in non-smoking adults had fallen 75% in the past decade. This drop was interpreted as due to indoor smoking bans and decreased smoking.

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One of the major detoxication products of nicotine; eliminated rapidly and completely by the kidneys. [anagram of nicotine]

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co·tin·ine 'kōt-ən-.ēn, -.īn n an alkaloid C₁₀H₁₂N₂O that is the principal metabolite of nicotine and is widely used as an indicator of recent exposure to nicotine

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co·ti·nine (koґtĭ-nēn) the major urinary metabolite of nicotine.