Drug Tests

Drug testing and analysis both are equally important for every purpose and this is most common test that is conducted when you have a problem of health or for the purpose of forensic science or for any purpose of verification about health of an individual. Drug testing can be made by hair, urine, saliva or sweat. Each kind of test will have certain method to follow and the result will indicate either a positive result or a negative result.

First the samples are collected from the individuals who are identified for drug testing and they will be asked to give sample in a bottle and the sample will be sent to laboratory for analysis. In the laboratory, the sample will go through several stages of testing and the result will be observed only after few hours.

Therefore, the drug test can reveal a result nearly on eight to nine drugs and these will be producing different reports for each drug.  The specimen taken for drug testing is an important source and this will be very useful in a laboratory.

For many years, specimen sample has been considered for detection of crime, drug addition or for any other disease analysis. This is medically very advanced and in fact it is a very high  technology that is used for  drug testing, which cannot give a failure result at any cost.

In countries like United Kingdom and United States, drug testing is the prime most important activity used by government agencies and judicial agencies. The reports of a laboratory are very important to the authority to detect whether an individual has been under the influence of a drug and what are its effects on the health of that individual.

Drug testing is performed for athletes who might use steroids to perform well in international events and this very much prohibited and considered to be unlawful activity. Athletes who violate these laws and use drugs will be put on drug testing and when they prove to be positive, their championship or titles will be cancelled and they can no longer participate in sport events.

This is because, international sports carry several bye laws that athletes have to perform on their own physical energy and should not be under the protection or be covered by a drug protection for their health.  It is a very moralistic and ethical approach towards international sports to stay away from the use of drugs.

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Saliva drug testing was developed as a simple way to test for the main recreational drugs, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines and heroin.  They are used in place of blood and urine tests as a happy medium between the complexities of taking blood, and the potential for spoofing a urine test.  It is much harder to fool a saliva test than it is a urine one, although it is still possible.

A recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 84% of employers now require some kind of drug testing to be performed as part of the application process.  The saliva test is the least intrusive, most user and subject friendly test to date.  It also provides quick results, which is a distinct advantage if performing workplace random drug tests.

Even though they may be accurate, it is still recommended to have positive results analyzed by mass spectrometry to confirm a positive result.  It will test for both the substance and the metabolite which can confirm ingestion of the drug rather than just exposure to it.

The downside to a saliva drug test is that is can only test for drug use over a short period.  For example, it can only detect THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis within 24 hours of ingestion.  This kind of testing wouldn’t detect occasional or social, weekend use unless the subject was really unlucky.

To perform the test, the agent will use a toothbrush-like implement and swab it in the mouth between the tongue and cheek for a couple of minutes.  The swab is then removed and placed immediately into a container and sent to an approved laboratory.  The laboratory will then test and either inform the subject or the employer, depending on what kind of test was carried out.

There are home testing kits available that perform the same function for either testing individuals or children for substance use.  These will use exactly the same method of collection, then be sent to the laboratory.  They can take longer than an employer test, up to six weeks to have the results.

If the saliva test was part of a job application, the results will often only be shared with the employer.  In most cases, it’s only if the test was negative that you will hear anything from them.  If an applicant hears nothing after a test, they would want to contact the human resources department of the potential employer in case.

Like with other testing methods, many laboratories will back up positive tests by using mass spectrometry.  These are the most accurate testing methods we have, and a positive mass spectrometry test is widely accepted as fact.

The presence of drugs in hair is based on a simple fact.  Anything that is ingested into the body and into the bloodstream is circulated with that blood and used to nourish the body.  Hair is nourished directly from blood, and would therefore contain anything that the blood would.

As a result of this, any drug or drug metabolite will be deposited in the hair when the blood reaches it, and will be stored there until the hair is cut off.  Hair normally grows at something like half an inch per month, so by testing hair at different lengths a laboratory can confirm when and what a subject has taken.

Usually only the first one and a half inches of hair are tested, which is three months growth.  This is a standard hair drug test.  If a longer record is needed, then more hair will be needed and tested.

Hair drug testing is so accurate that many courts and legal entities accept is as evidence.  The drug compounds remain stable once they are in the hair and can provide evidence of drug taking for months on end.  As most of the tests also test for metabolites, the test is conclusive of the subject having taken the drugs, not just being in the vicinity of it.

Metabolites are chemicals formed once the drug has been ingested, then metabolized by the body.  This is definitive evidence that the drug has been taken.

The downside to hair drug testing is that it needs around 50 hairs to be completely accurate.  Not many people will voluntarily give up their hair like that.  The least obtrusive place to obtain them is the crown.  There a sample, cut as close to the scalp as possible is taken and tested.  If a subject has no hair, then body hair can also be used.  Using body hair needs different calculations as its rate of growth is much slower than head hair.

There are over the counter shampoos that purport to wash off the chemicals in the hair.  Also there is a school of thought that hair dyes and treatments also lessen the effectiveness of hair drug testing.  These theories are just that.  A hair drug test analyzes the internal structure of the hair.  Any amount of treatment or washing isn’t going to affect the inside of it.

Hair testing is less open to abuse as the entire procedure can be performed and controlled by the agency doing the tests.  Unlike urine testing where substitution or contamination can occur, with hair testing it cannot.  As long as the correct procedures are followed when the sample is collected the test should be completely viable.

Because of the accuracy of its results, hair testing is gaining in popularity.  Once the barrier of the subjects unwillingness to provide the sample is removed, it is one of the most accurate, and non-invasive drug testing methods available.

Urine drug screening is one of the most popular, if not the most popular method of testing for the presence of substances in the body.  Originally designed to check for the presence of chemicals or substances before undergoing medical procedures, they are now commonplace in employment for some types of career.  Anybody working in law enforcement or transportation must undergo periodic and random drug screening to conform with federal law.

Anyone working as a police officer, bus driver, train driver, trucker or any other transportation role has to comply with these tests under federal law.  Each test must be conducted properly and by a laboratory certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  Other companies and industries may have their own drug testing policies, which must abide by the applicable state law.

Samples are collected from subjects by “peeing in the pot” and presenting it to be tested.  The test often has to be sent to a laboratory for a proper toxicology test, which can take a few days.

Toxicology can screen for general compounds which include most recreational drugs like cocaine, marijuana, heroin and PCP.  The problem is that certain legal drugs, foods and other compound can give false positives.  For example, a bagel with poppy seeds on top can give a false positive because it comes from the poppy, as does heroin.

There are disadvantages with urine samples though.  The first problem is that is can be fooled by substituting the subjects urine with a known clean sample.  It can also be contaminated between collection and testing.

The immunoassay is a newer test that can provide almost instant results, which negates many of the inherent problems with traditional toxicological testing.  This test uses a test strip, almost like litmus paper, embedded with antibodies that can test immediately.  These antibodies only react to very specific compounds, specifically drugs and will indicate the presence by changing color.

Couple this with rigorous controls on providing urine samples, such as pH and temperature testing and you have the makings of an accurate and demonstrative test.

So the test isn’t infallible, but performed correctly, and properly can be a viable method of testing for substance abuse in a workforce.  It is suggested that any positive returns on a urine test be double checked by another method to ensure its accuracy.  Especially if employment is at stake.

The most current accurate method of testing for substances is gas chromatography or mass spectrometry.  These tests can identify the molecular structure of compounds and also its metabolite, which is the chemical created once the drug has been metabolized.  These methods are widely regarded as the most accurate possible with current technology, and the findings are acceptable in court.

So while urine screening isn’t the most infallible test available, it is the quickest and most convenient.  As long as controls are in place to prevent sample substitution and any positive results are re-tested using an approved method the findings should be accepted.

Drug testing is rapidly becoming a standard part of the job application process in the United States.  Due to the prevalence of recreational drugs and the insurance premiums charged to companies to protect from the effects of drugs, it’s becoming an important tool in candidate selection.

Unfortunately, there is no cohesive drug testing law across the country.  It’s advisable to get legal advice before implementing any drug testing to ensure you comply with any particular state laws.  Many states have taken a stance on drug testing, and not always in favor of the employer, so check the facts.

A drug testing policy should be clear and communicated to everyone in the company.  Ensuring there is an easily accessible copy on an intranet or with the policies and procedures for the company so employees have free access to the information at any time.

Drug testing is usually defined in five categories.

• Applicant Testing
• Scheduled Testing
• Random testing
• Treatment Related Testing
• Post-Accident Testing

Applicant testing should be undertaken after an offer has been made in order to comply with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).  There will have to be a discussion about prescription medication before the test and any company with more than 15 employees is subject to ADA.

Scheduled testing can be performed as part of a regular physical.  Laws are sketchy here and only really relate to specific job types.  Obtain legal advice for these.

Random testing is exactly as the name suggest.  It can be implemented at random times, and random people in jobs where safety and security are an issue.  Be careful not to target anyone specifically.  They have to be random, not a means to investigate someone suspected of drug abuse.

Treatment related testing can be undertaken if an employee has received treatment for which drugs were prescribed.  Some will have side effects, and/or if the employee is in a safety or security critical role can be monitored afterwards to ensure they remain drug free.

Post-accident testing is often undertaken if the employee was subject to an industrial accident.  Drugs can cause accidents, and this kind of testing can determine if they played a part in the incident.

As mentioned, different states have different views on drug testing.  If you are an employer looking to implement some kind of testing, or an employee about to be subject to it, it’s best to seek legal counsel pertinent to where you live.  Anything that affects employees can be a legal and litigatory minefield, so it pays to be careful, whichever side of the situation you’re on.

Thanks to President Reagan, drug tests are now commonplace when applying for jobs, and while working in others. A US Navy aircraft crashed on the deck of the USS Nimitz in 1981, taking some crewmembers with it. As a result he signed an executive order mandating drugs testing for all federal employees.

Shortly after, the private sector was let in on the act and permitted to perform drug testing on job applicants as part of the application process. Now over 84% of employers in the United States have some kind of drug testing process in place. Schools and colleges are also beginning to implement drug testing of their own, and you can now buy home drug testing kits almost as readily as you can pregnancy testing kits.

A drug test is designed to locate chemical compounds of specific drugs, or the metabolites of them. When a body digests or metabolizes, something, it breaks it down into other chemicals. Specific compounds have specific metabolites, which these tests will detect. The idea of searching for metabolites as well as the drug itself is that it’s evidence of the subject having ingested the drug.

These metabolites are transported by the body and stored in fatty deposits. These are semi-permanent and will only disappear when the body burns the fat for energy. Therefore, the tests can often detect drugs long after the actual event. The detection time varies however between the drugs, and the lifestyle of the person involved.

The tests themselves are no indicator of intent, so they cannot prove that the person voluntarily took drugs, only that they have taken them. While this is a little wooly as far as the law goes, the presence of drugs in a subjects system, whether taken knowingly or not, is enough to deny employment or attract other kinds of censure.

The urine test requires a sample of urine and a test card is applied to it to indicate the presence of any drugs. If the card provides a positive result, the urine is sent for further testing in a laboratory. This test is very reliable but is subject to being fooled by urine substitution or drinking water heavily for a period before the test.

The hair test is another reliable drug testing method. A sample of hair is taken and tested for the same metabolites. As the drug is ingested in the blood, they are deposited into the hair follicle. There is stays until the hair either drops out or is cut off.

The blood test is the most complicated, and expensive drugs test to undertake. It involves the taking of a sample of blood by a doctor or nurse and having that blood tested for the metabolites. These are often reserved for court cases, litigation or life insurance policies.

All positive results can be confirmed by using mass spectrometry, which confirms the presence of the compound and the metabolites at the molecular level, and is regarded as absolutely accurate.