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.