How Long Does Crack Cocaine Stay In Your System?

Crack cocaine is a potent, fast-acting form of cocaine that is smoked to produce an intense but short-lived high, and like powder cocaine, it leaves detectable traces in the body long after its effects have worn off. When someone is facing a workplace drug test, court-ordered screening, or is trying to understand their own situation, knowing how long crack cocaine can be detected and what factors influence that window is useful information.

Drug testing methods vary in how long they can detect crack cocaine use, ranging from a matter of hours with blood tests to up to 90 days with hair follicle testing. The right test for a given situation depends on the purpose of the screening and how recently use occurred.

Crack Cocaine Detection Times

Drug detection times refer to the length of time crack cocaine can be detected in a person’s system and therefore be identified in a drug test.

Average crack cocaine detection times, by drug testing method:

• urine tests: one to seven days
• blood tests: up to 24 hours
• saliva tests: up to two days
• hair tests: up to 90 days

How Long Crack Cocaine Remains In Urine

Crack cocaine use can be detected in urine samples for anywhere from one to seven days after your last use. This time-frame will depend on how much cocaine was used and other factors.

Learn more about detecting crack cocaine in urine

How Long Crack Cocaine Remains In Blood

Crack cocaine can be detected in the blood for a shorter window of time than urine. On average, crack will remain in the blood for up to 24 hours.

Learn more about detecting crack cocaine in blood

How Long Crack Cocaine Remains In Saliva

Oral fluids, like saliva, can be tested for drug use. Crack cocaine may be detectable in oral fluids for up to 48 hours. This is the maximum length of time, on average.

How Long Crack Cocaine Remains In Hair

Crack use can be detected through an analysis of hair follicles for up to 90 days, or three months, after last use. Hair testing has the longest detection window of any other drug test.

Learn more about detecting crack cocaine in hair

What Factors Can Affect How Long Crack Cocaine Stays In Your System?

Average detection times for crack cocaine don’t apply to everyone. There are a wide range of factors that can shorten or lengthen the amount of time you can get a positive result for crack cocaine use.

Factors that can affect how long cocaine stays in your system:

• Amount of Crack Use: Using large amounts of crack, or going on a cocaine binge, can result in longer detection times.
• Frequency of Use: Being a heavy user or frequent user of crack can cause longer detection times.
• Overall Health Status: Having a slow metabolism or co-occurring health conditions can affect how long it takes for the body to rid itself of cocaine and cocaine metabolites.
• Polydrug Use: Taking multiple drugs (e.g. opioids, alcohol) with crack can affect how long it takes for the body to metabolize the drug.
• Body Composition: Weight, height, and body fat percentage can affect how long crack will remain detectable in the body.

How To Get Crack Cocaine Out Of Your System

The only way to get crack cocaine out of your system is to stop using cocaine. Physical dependence and addiction to crack can complicate this. People who are addicted to crack will have a hard time quitting it long enough to get a negative test result.

This is because cocaine can be psychologically addictive and can cause uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms in those who go more than a few hours without taking more.

Cocaine Detoxification

The only way to clear crack cocaine from your system is to stop using it, but for someone who has developed a physical or psychological dependence, that’s rarely as simple as it sounds. Crack cocaine produces intense cravings and a psychological crash that can make the first days without it feel unmanageable, and attempting to stop alone increases the risk of relapse.

A medically supervised detox program provides the safest and most supported environment for getting through that initial withdrawal period. Clinical staff can monitor for complications, manage symptoms, and address the psychological distress that usually accompanies cocaine withdrawal, particularly the depression, fatigue, and intense cravings that peak in the first few days. Detox serves as the entry point into an inpatient or outpatient treatment program.

Getting Help For Crack Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine addiction can dramatically affect how a person thinks, feels, looks, and behaves. If you or someone you know is addicted to crack, the best way to stop using crack cocaine is to seek professional treatment at a rehab program for cocaine addiction.

Treatment for crack cocaine use and addiction can include:

• behavioral therapies
• medication
• support groups
• sober living or therapeutic communities

Overcoming an addiction to crack is possible. It’s never too soon or too late to seek help. Reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or browse our directory for more helpful information.