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Important Tips On Drug Testing

The use of drugs has increased drastically in recent years. With more people becoming hooked, there is a need to establish the type of drugs a person may be getting high on. Drug testing is now commonly used to detect the nature and the levels of intoxication that may be present in a person.


Reasons that necessitate one to go for a test


Medical reasons such as addiction and psychological problems require one to get a drug test. These tests ascertain what drugs they might be using and assist in coming up with a remedy. The federal government may also direct a drug test be done on an individual to establish if a citizen is using illegal substances such as marijuana and cocaine. In a new trend in the corporate world, companies are demanding that their employees undergo drug tests. With such data, it is easy for human resource managers to monitor soberness of employees when on duty and identify those who frequently use drugs.


The principle that drug testing relies on


Once we take drugs, traces are left in our bodies even after the effect of the drug dies off. Drug tests utilize these traces to establish the type of drug one may have used. The nature of the substance under investigation determines the testing technique that is necessary. The degree of accuracy of each test is unique. The ideal choice will be one that gives the most accurate result.


Various forms of drug testing available


Blood and urine are convenient when testing for the presence of substances such as cocaine marijuana and nicotine. Mouth swabs and breathalyzers are used to test for the presence of alcohol in the body. A Recent research breakthrough has now introduced the use of hair in testing for drugs. In the athletic field, such testing is used to establish if an athlete is using banned forms of steroids.


Legal requirements governing the testing for drugs


Drug testing is voluntary and requires legal authorization in exceptional circumstances when the procedures are carried out without a person's consent. Suspects of illegal drug use are required by law to undergo a drug testing to validate their criminal charges. As a way of ensuring professionalism athletes are required by their professional bodies to have regular tests done. It is an efficient way of monitoring and ensuring they are not using drugs that give them an upper edge when compared to other competitors. Even though some firms demand a drug test for employees, you are not obliged to have them done. In case one is not comfortable, that can always forgo the employment opportunity.

Benefits of using such tests

If done under the right conditions they offer an accurate result on the type and intensity of drug use by a person. The tests are fast and safe as they have mild side effects if any. The procedures are friendly for people of various ages without posing any health concerns. Regarding where to get the services, they are readily available in government health facilities and private clinics. Specialized forms of testing such as the use of hair will require the use of specialized equipment.

Possible limitations of the various options available

Even with all the necessary equipment, a drug test may fail to be accurate. If a person takes a large volume of water before a urine test, the water ends up diluting the urine a situation that lowers the concentration of a particular substance. If the element were at low concentration, the presence such a drug will be negative as per the test results. Some techniques such as saliva tests are less sensitive and require a drug to be in the body at about 4 hours before it can be efficiently detected. Some such as the use of hair is costly and may not be readily available in the regular health facilities.

Drug and substance abuse monitoring is essential and can save lives. A drug overdose is fatal if not detected early enough. A reliable way of establishing this high levels is through a test. The tests have made it easy to identify individuals who may be using illegal substances so that they can get the necessary help.

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