| Q: |
How
does TobacAlert™ work? |
| A: |
TobacAlert™
measures a chemical called cotinine in urine. Nicotine, the main drug in
cigarette smoke and other tobacco products, is rapidly processed by the
body into cotinine. Testing for cotinine in urine is a reliable way of
determining second hand smoke exposure. TobacAlert™ uses specially
coated particles, which react to the cotinine in the urine sample and
produce the reddish lines. |
| Q: |
Is it
necessary to use a morning urine? |
| A: |
No.
The test can use a urine sample collected at any time of the day. |
| Q: |
What
does a variation in the intensity of the color of the result signify? |
| A: |
The
colors may vary from pale pink to reddish, but this is not significant. |
| Q: |
What
if the results are not clear to me? |
| A: |
If no
reddish lines appear, the test is defective or has not been used
according to the instructions. Repeat with a new test following the
instructions carefully. |
| Q: |
Do
medications influence the result? |
| A: |
Except
for nicotine medications such as a patch or nicotine gum, medicines do
not usually have an effect on the result. |
| Q: |
What
does a negative result mean? |
| A: |
A
negative result ("0") means that you have no or very little
second hand smoke exposure in the past 2 to 3 days. |
| Q: |
What
does a positive result mean? |
| A: |
A
positive result ("1" or higher) means that you have been
exposed to second hand smoke in the past 2 to 3 days if you are a
non-user of tobacco products. A positive result can also be caused by
use of tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco,
etc., or nicotine medications such as a patch or nicotine gum. A
positive result of "3" or higher indicates that you are very
likely a smoker or user of tobacco or nicotine products. |
| Q: |
Are
there any medications or foods, etc. that can cause the test to be
positive even when there is no second hand smoke exposure (this is
called a "false positive")? |
| A: |
The test
can be positive if you are a smoker, if you chew tobacco, or if you use
a nicotine patch or nicotine gum. |
| Q: |
What
is the lowest amount of second hand smoke exposure that the test can
detect? |
| A: |
The
test can detect as little as 6 nanograms/mL of cotinine (a nanogram is
one billionth of a gram) (a mL is one fifth of a teaspoon). The amount
of exposure you have will vary depending on the amount of smoke in the
air and other factors. The test can be positive if you have been in a
tobacco smoke environment for as little as an hour in the past 2 to 3
days |
| Q: |
Are there other tests available like this? |
| A: |
Currently there ore no other similar reliable quantitative tests for tobacco product exposure (without sending
samples to a costly specialized reference laboratory). |
| Q: |
What is the equivalent number of cigarettes per day
(cpd) to the cotinine level? |
| A: |
The cpd /eve/ is a poor measure of nicotine intake, which is why the test is so valuable. Different smokers use
different brands, inhale differently and smoke varying amounts of the cigarette. |
