Does Vaping Show Up on Drug Tests?

You’ve seen it — that big puff cloud coming out of somebody’s car or even out of their face. It’s the new trend in ‘smoking.’ These electronic devices are replacing cigarettes as the new way to get nicotine and THC. You may wonder, Does vaping show up on drug tests? Well, there are a few things you should know about vaping.

What is vaping?

Often referred to as e-Cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes, vaping products deliver nicotine, THC, CBD and other substances through vaporized liquids. Contrary to what some may think, there is no tobacco involved in vaping. The battery-charged vaping mechanism has a heating element that turns the liquid into a vapor, which is inhaled by the user. It is purely vapor, not smoke, as nothing is burned like with a cigarette. That vapor carries the active substance to the lungs.

Can you drug test for vaping?

Since vaping delivers nicotine or THC (the active ‘drug’ in cannabis), tests can be done for both of those compounds through typical drug testing. However, there is not a test specifically for vaping. Drug tests can be conducted on hair, nails, urine, and blood. Nicotine can stay in the system for up to three weeks, and THC can be present in bodily fluids for up to 30 day and be present in hair and nails for months.

Is vaping a drug?

Vaping is a way to deliver substances like THC and nicotine. Vaping itself is not a drug. In fact, there are types of vaping that do not have THC or nicotine and are used purely to replace the experience of smoking. That said, since vaping is often used to take in THC and nicotine, it can be treated like a drug, especially for concerned parents and drug tests can be administered for those substances.

How can you tell if someone is Vaping?

Vape ‘smoke’ often has a very sweet smell, as it comes in flavors. Signs that somebody is vaping include:

• Those sweet smells or aromas
• Signs of THC: bloodshot eyes
• Signs of nicotine withdrawal: irritability, headaches
• The equipment: pens that aren’t pens; batteries; cartridges; strange new USB chargers
• Nosebleeds: Vaping dries the mouth and the nasal passage, which can result in nosebleeds

Vaping and Teens: Parents Beware

There are risks to vaping, and it is often marketed to kids. While vaping nicotine is safer than smoking cigarettes, there are health risks involved in vaping that parents need to be aware of, including:

• The active chemicals can be more highly concentrated, so that vaping may end up delivering more nicotine or THC than smoking.
• The unknown. Vaping is still new enough that many of the chemicals in the liquid can be unknown to the user — including formaldehyde. Remember, these are being vaporized and delivered through the mouth and throat to the lungs.
• Addiction to nicotine. Younger people are being introduced to vaping the way they used to get hooked on cigarettes. As a result, they are developing nicotine addictions at young ages.

See Also: Drug Testing for Your Teen

Conclusion

If you’re trying to help a child, employee or friend drop the vaping habit, testing for nicotine and THC with our affordable and confidential drug tests will help. Simple tests with urine, blood, hair or nails can help you keep them safe from the dangers of these substances.

Order your test today or schedule a time to get your test done at our Chicago area office.