Drug Testing & Detection Periods

Unfortunately drug testing is becoming more and more popular throughout the world. Drug screening is used to test: drivers arrested for possible intoxication; overdose patients in emergency rooms; patients being treated by drug rehabilitation programs; probation's; prisoners; courts; insurance companies; military personnel; athletes (both professional and amateur) and other sports competitors; as well as by many companies as standard, such as the rail networks, airlines, and the police. In the United States 81% of all companies surveyed now perform tests to determine whether you are a user and possible hazard to their company.

The test is designed to detect drugs that are still present in the body and for this reason, a specimen may yield a positive result days or weeks after the person has used the drug. The Detection Time is the number of days after intake of a drug that an individual would be expected to excrete detectable levels of drug metabolite in their urine. These are average times only – for each drug, detection may be possible (but less likely) for significantly longer than listed. Detection may be influenced by a variety of factors including dosage, drug metabolism, tolerance, patient's condition (age, height, weight, body chemistry), fluid intake, method and frequency of ingestion and individual metabolic characteristics. Some people, especially those with faster metabolisms, test negative after a shorter period of time than others. (See the Detection Chart for average times)

There are basically four types of tests that they perform.

The first and most popular is the Urine test as it does not require licensed medical personnel to administer the test, there is no danger of infection (as with a blood test), it is more cost effective and its preferable for large-scale use. This procedure usually involves you going into the bathroom and filling up a cup with your urine. They either use a test kit right then for immediate results or send it away to a lab to get tested through a sophisticated gas analyzer. Although tests kits can be used most companies prefer to send off the samples so that they ensure accurate results. If a test kit does give a positive result, the sample should always be sent to a laboratory to have the result confirmed.

The second type of test is a Hair Follicle test. Hair testing is quite accurate and can go back 6 months, showing all of the toxins you used in a sort of timeline. Many people try to get around this by just shaving their head. Know that they will go for your underarm, pubic, leg or arm hair if you do not have the required 1/2 inch on your head.

The third type of test is a Blood test. Blood testing is usually performed for serious employment positions or when you are applying for insurance policies. This is expensive and not very common.

The fourth type of test is the Saliva test. This is not common and can only detect toxins used 3-4 days prior. Saliva and breath tests are not commonly accepted as screens but there is more research being carried out into creating more accurate tests, so that in the future the police will be able to carry out quick roadside checks if they think that someone has been ‘Drug’ Driving. The police do use them at present but not as widely as they use the alcohol tests.

Urine Tests

When using a urinary drug test, the best time to determine the presence of drugs is by testing the first urine of the morning, as it is the most concentrated and will yield the most accurate results. The chart below indicates the time period drugs will stay in the body depending on factors such as degree of usage, a person’s metabolism and individual body weight. The detection periods are applicable to both urinary and saliva drug tests.

• Are the least expensive of the test methods

• Can be done on the spot using kits (for example at home by parents)

• Detect use primarily within the past week (longer with regular use)

• Can be affected by abstaining from use for a period of time before the test

• Are often temperature tested to insure sample integrity

SALIVA TESTS

Detecting drug use with a saliva (oral fluids) drug test kit is a clean and easy drug screening technique. This method provides fast, accurate results and can detect up to 6 drugs instantly. It is often the preferred method of screening in the workplace and home as it is non-evasive. 

Its detection window starts within hours and will good up to 2-3 days.

Blood Tests

The blood alcohol concentration at which a person becomes impaired is variable, dependent upon the individual. Specific parameters such as gender, physical size, weight, activity level, eating habits and alcohol tolerance all affect the level of impairment of an individual. However, in general the human body processes alcohol in 4 to 6 hours.

• Are considered the most intrusive method of testing

• Are the most expensive method of testing

• Are the most accurate method of testing

• Are the least common method of testing (most likely due to cost)

Hair Tests

When using a hair drug test, it will take approximately 5 days after drug usage until traces of the drug become embedded in a person's hair follicles. That process will continue for around 90 days.

• Are considered a less intrusive method of drug testing compared to blood tests

• Are currently many times more expensive than urine tests ($100-$150)

• Detect substance use over a longer period (see detection times).

• Do not usually detect use within the past week.

• Require a sample of hair about the diameter of a pencil and 1.5 inches long. They can not be done with a single hair. So many people are against having so much hair cut off.

• Test positive a little more than twice as often as a urine test. In a recent study, out of 1823 paired hair and urine samples, 57 urine samples tested positive for drugs of abuse; while 124 hair samples from the same group tested positive.

• Are not significantly affected by brief periods of abstinence from drugs

• Can sometimes be used to determine when use occurred and if it has been discontinued. Drugs, such as opiates (codeine, morphine, heroin) lay down on the hair shaft very tightly and are shown not to migrate along the shaft, thus, if a long segment of hair is available one can draw some "relative" conclusions about when the use occurred. However cocaine, although very easy to detect, is able to migrate along the shaft; making it very difficult to determine when the drug was used and for how long.

• Claims to be able to reliably differentiate between opiate and poppy seed use.

SPRAY (SWEAT) TESTING

Spray drug testing is a non-invasive way to detect recent drug use in your employees, children or anyone else you need to test. Sweat patch drug testing is most often used by law enforcement to get accurate results on the spot. It is non-invasive, has immediate results and easy to collect, with a long detection window of up to 2 weeks.  However it is open to environmental contamination, cant test for many types of drugs, more costly and the rate of sweat production effects results.

It can be used to test for Cocaine/Crack and Marijuana

Drug Abuse Table

Detection Times

Figures are estimates only. The amount taken, frequency of use and an individual's age, weight, health and body chemistry all affect the period of time a drug remains evident in a urine specimen, meaning that it could take a little more or less time than that listed. The different times given for the same drug is due to the different tests on the market, some of which are better than others at drug detection.

How To Pass Your Drug Test

If you don't use anything - you have nothing to worry about. It seems obvious but the best way to pass your test, is not to use! Although passing a test is not as difficult as you may think - toxins in your system do not stay permanently.

The first thing to do is check how long each toxin remains in your system (refer to the Detection chart). Whatever the chart says, still be careful. Remember that these results depend on your metabolism, which might be faster or slower than average. You could only take you a day less or a day more than what the average says, so remember its just a guide. If at all possible, try to give yourself at least an extra day above what the chart says. Another thing that it depends on is the method of testing. Some tests aren't as accurate for long times as others. So you would be better off going with the detection time that is the longest, rather than going with the shortest time and getting a positive result because of it.

How exactly do I pass my test?

Many Adulterants can be used to tamper with your sample in the hope that you will pass your test or that they will be unable to test the sample and have to request another one. The only problem is that these days most laboratories and even kit tests that can be bought over the internet for personal use, can test for these.

Goldenseal, Niacin, Vinegar, Certo and Bleach are all rumors. You will not pass your test if you try any of these household goods. One thing that you shouldn't trust either are these supposedly 'miracle cures' that they advertise on the internet. Supposedly for an amount of money (usually quite a large amount) they will send you a tonic or potion that will cleanse your body and get rid of the chemicals. None of these work, they are just a rip off with many of them working on the principle of getting a lot of water into you so that it naturally dilutes your urine in the hope that the test won't work. If you have ever tried one and it did work, you were probably just lucky.  The only real way to pass your test is to not use anything at all.

FALSE POSITIVE'S

Be aware that some other medications will cause a false positive on a drug test. Please view the false positive page if you are taking any other medications.  

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Last updated: 19 January 2008