Posts Tagged drug test

Types of Drug Tests for Teens

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on May 16th, 2011

Do you plan on drug testing your teens at home or the students in your school? Here are drug testing methods commonly used with teens.

drug testing teensa. Urine Testing – The drug and its metabolites can be variably detected according to the amount of drug intake through urine testing. When the illegal substance is smoked or taken intravenously, the absorption of the body is almost instantaneous and excretion in the urine is also immediate. Urine samples are usually valid for up to six hours after drug intake. After 48 hours of taking the drug, all traces of the substance will be lost in the urine. Still, the detection of the drug in the urine sample vary according to the amount taken, the number of times taken, the concentration of the drug, and many other factors.

b. Saliva Testing – This is a method that detects drug using a sample that is more easily collected. Saliva, which can be collected anywhere anytime, gives a result that concentrates on the parent drug taken by an individual and not so much on the drug’s metabolites. Cocaine concentration in a person’s system, for example, can be easily detected by this method which relates to the physiological and euphoric effects of the drug in the body.

c. Sweat Testing – Among the methods of drug testing, the starting material for this test is most difficult to collect. A sweat patch is used but unfortunately, there is a high possibility of environmental contamination when using it. Unlike in other methods, it takes a longer period of time before a sweat patch test can yield results; the patch will still undergo a lot of processes before it is finally subjected to the detection of the drug that is in the sample.

d. Hair Testing – The hair sample, which is also easily collected, can hold drug concentrations longer than the other biological samples. Thus, the hair drug test has a longer window of detection. The downside of hair testing is that it cannot be used to test recent drug use as hair takes time to grow and absorb substances from the body.

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Drug Tests for Missouri Welfare Recipients

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on January 13th, 2011

A new bill that would require certain welfare recipients to undergo drug testing has been introduced in the Missouri House of Representatives this week and is taking some heat. The bill would only screen those suspected of using illegal drugs and would take away welfare benefits from people who test positive for illegal drugs.

drug testAnyone who tests positive would face a one-year ban on receiving benefits under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. The ban would apply only to the person who tested positive for drugs. Children and other household members would continue to receive benefits through a third party assigned to handle the funds.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Ellen Brandom, R-Sikeston, who believes hard-earned tax dollars should not be used to support the drug use of TANF recipients. Estimated cost for implementing the bill is at $2 million, although Brandom questions this figure as on-site drug screening kits are now more affordable.

This bill, though, has met plenty of opposition. Bob Quinn, executive director of Missouri Association for Social Welfare, stresses that the government must not be hard on people whose lives are already hard enough. Colleen Coble, executive director of the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, does not think the $2 million estimated cost would not be enough to pay for drug treatment if several welfare recipients test positive. Josh Campbell of the American Civil Liberties Union expresses concern on possible violation of equal protection rights for welfare recipients and case workers.

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Drug Testing Cheats: Do They Really Work?

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on December 4th, 2010

One would want to think that the prospect of facing the consequences of a positive drug test result serve as a deterrent to anyone who is abusing drugs. Unfortunately, it has spurred the misplaced creativity of some people in as far as cheating drug tests is concerned. Some of these “strategies” do not really work, and an article on TestCountry.org shares some of these so-called “drug testing cheats.”

drug testingAspirin + water versus marijuana. A marijuana user who is up for a drug test can reportedly take up to four tablets of Aspirin, along with a lot of water, to cheat on that test. What this combination can do, it is said, is reduce the sensitivity of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in one’s urine sample, and reduce THC levels in the drug test results to levels that are below the cut-off.

According to the article, though, this “cheat” is not only unreliable, but dangerous. All that water will render one’s urine colorless, which is a dead giveaway regarding an attempt to cheat. It is also dangerous for anyone to take excessive amounts of Aspirin.

Detoxifiying shampoos. But what if one is being subjected to a hair follicle drug test, as opposed to the more common urine test? There are tips propagating on the Internet that using detoxifiying shampoos ought to do the trick. These shampoos can leave a residue on the hair that may give a user a “better chance” – but, as was categorically stated – not a fool-proof chance, that one can achieve a negative drug test results. This may work for someone who had a snort or two over the past month or so, but regular and heavy drug users cannot hide behind a detox shampoo, according to the feature.

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1 in 5 Drivers Killed in Car Crashes Tested Positive for Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on December 3rd, 2010

Researchers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that almost 1 in every 5 drivers who were killed in fatal car crashes last year had tested positive for drugs, according to a report by The Associated Press. These statistics raised concerns regarding the effect of drug use on safety while driving.

Researchers clarify, however, that it was not confirmed whether the drugs caused the accidents that these drivers were involved in. In order to determine the ways through which certain drugs impair a person’s ability to drive, further research is recommended.

car crashThe data analyzed by the researchers revealed that almost 4,000, or approximately 18 percent, of the 22,000 drivers killed in 2009 had drugs in their systems. This number, however, may still be higher in reality, given the fact that only about 3 of every 5 drivers who had been killed in a car accident have been subjected to drug testing, and that testing regulations varied across states. Various states and communities used different types of tests, and tested for different drugs.

In general, however, the tests detected both legal and illegal drugs, such as: heroin, methadone, morphine, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, LSD, prescription drugs and inhalants. The tests do not include drugs that were administered after the accident.

White House Drug Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske shared: “It’s very clear that we’ve got a significant problem… We’ve made great progress on alcohol-impaired driving through education and enforcement. There’s just no reason we won’t be able to make progress in this area once we start bringing it to people’s attention and we start doing the enforcement that’s needed.”

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Lindsay Lohan Ready for Consequences of Failed Drug Tests

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Testing on September 18th, 2010

In a previous post, we shared the news of Ms. Lohan’s early release from what was supposed to be a 90-day stay in rehab, with the following quote from her lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, regarding the reason for her release: “They [the doctors] started their own fresh evaluation, put her through their own testing and recognized that there was no need for her to be there any longer.”

lindsay lohanWe can’t help but wonder how they arrived at that conclusion, and what they have to say about the latest news about Ms. Lohan.

A report on CNN shared the following tweet, sent by the actress on Friday evening: “Regrettably, I did in fact fail my most recent drug test and if I am asked, I am prepared to appear before Judge Fox next week as a result.”

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elden Fox took over the case from Judge Marsha Revel, who handed down Lindsay Lohan’s jail sentence. Ms. Lohan’s release from rehab was accompanied by several conditions from Judge Fox, which included random drug testing twice a week.

Lohan tweeted further: “Substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn’t go away overnight… I am working hard to overcome it and am taking positive steps… [and] doing what I must do to prevent any mishaps in the future… This was certainly a setback for me, but I am taking responsibility for my actions and I’m prepared to face the consequences.”

No court date has been set for the failed drug test.

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Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Pass Drug Tests

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing, Steroid Abuse on May 22nd, 2010

There’s good news for MMA enthusiasts: fights are still taint-free, at least when certain fighters are involved. The six fighters who were tested for performance-enhancing as well as illegal drugs have passed drug tests with flying colors.

The testing was conducted last Saturday at the “Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery” event at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Six fighters were confirmed drug-free by Strikeforce spokesperson Mike Afromowitz.

Alistar OvereemA post on Testing It Up wondered about whether testing will be conducted during the May 15 fight, being as it were that there were speculations that Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem may be using performance-enhancing drugs. Overeem defended his title against challenger Brett Rogers, whom he defeated with a first-round TKO. The fighters included in the list of fighters who passed drug testing were Overeem, Antonio Silva, Joey Villasenor, and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcente.

Test results for main-card competitors – including Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski (who fought Antonio Silva), Roger Gracie and Kevin Randleman – are not yet available.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker shared that they worked with a local facility in the implementation of the testing. Coker shared the following with MMAJunkie.com: “We fixed the problem by drug testing everybody. If there’s a problem, we’ll let people know. It was the right thing to do because the commission is doing random testing, and I didn’t want to leave any chance or a crack of skepticism. And this puts everybody in check. We’ll do it again if we have to.”

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