Sneaky smokers beware: Now there's a saliva test which shows if you've had a cigarette in the last three days The Saliva SmokeScreen test requires people to spit into a cup so their saliva can be tested for a breakdown product of nicotine, called cotinine It can't tell how many cigarettes a person smoked but shows level of nicotine consumption- test will be positive if they use nicotine replacement It gives a positive or negative result within a minute - takes five or six minutes for an accurate reading of the level of nicotine consumption A new test that can establish whether smokers are lying about their habit has been developed. The saliva test can show whether a person has smoked within the last three days. The test could be used by doctors who are trying to help their patients give up the habit, as well as by health insurance companies working out their premiums. A test which can tell if a person has smoked a cigarette has been developed by the University of Birmingham The Saliva SmokeScreen test was created by researchers at the University of Birmingham. It requires the person taking the test to spit into a cup and the person conducting the test can then dip the test into the saliva. It works by detecting cotinine in saliva - this is a breakdown product of nicotine. It cannot establish how many cigarettes a person has smoked, as people smoke different types of cigarettes and in different ways. However, it shows how much nicotine a person has consumed in the last three days. As a result, the test will be positive if a person is using nicotine replacement products, even if they have completely stopped smoking. The test requires a person to spit into a pot and their saliva is then tested for a breakdown product of nicotine While this could lead to a false positive result for cigarette use, it could also help people establish how much nicotine they need to take to enable them to quit. The test gives a positive or negative result within one minute, but takes six minutes to provide a clear picture of a person's nicotine consumption. It can pick up passive smoking but the reading would be so insignificant the colour change on the test would not be detectable with the human eye. The results show whether a person has consumed nicotine within the last three days - it can also picked up passive smoking but the colour change would be so small the human eye could not detect it Dr Graham Cope, honorary senior research fellow at the University of Birmingham, said: "Smoking is an important risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It also causes blood pressure to rise and is linked with high cholesterol levels. The Saliva SmokeScreen test is now being used as part of the PruHealth free Vitality Healthcheck programme to verify non-smoking in their policy holders, so they can qualify for relevant incentives. It is also available to any other people or organisations that want to use it.