In some countries, drug testing has become an important part of the workplace. Drug testing is sometimes administered among employees as a mandatory part of the recruitment process. This is especially common for larger companies, which possess the right resources to execute such tests efficiently.
Certain studies have shown that drug tests are essential to determine the overall performance of employees. According to those studies, drug users tend to be less productive during the workday and request more sick days. Employees who abuse substances sometimes struggle to complete particular tasks and hinder the company’s performance.
The implementation of drug tests is significant in industries, such a construction, because there is a higher probability of these employees to cause a job accident or injure either themselves or others. By minimizing on-the-job injuries, mandatory drug testing helps the employer reduce health insurance rates and health costs. It’s a win-win scenario for both workers and employers, as it increases employee wellbeing while decreasing costs.
History of drug tests
Little is known about the beginning of drug tests in other countries, but what is known is that in the United States, it took place in the 1930s with the opening to the first testing lab in New York.
Microcrystalline testing, developed between the 1930s and 1950s, was the primary technology used to test for drugs. This type of testing involved extracting saliva samples with chemical solvents, which then reacted with particular reagents until the solvents evaporated. Under a microscope, crystalline residues were analyzed and compared to crystals formed by known drugs.
In the 1950s and 1960s, a method known as thin-layer chromatography was introduced. This technique separated non-evaporative mixtures and analyzed them. It’s performed on plastic, glass, or aluminum foil to identify compounds and their number in a mixture.
In the 1980s, Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry joined TLC in separating compounds to recognize substances in test samples. It can detect hundreds of drugs and is regarded as the “gold standard” in drug testing.
Types of drug tests
The majority of today’s tests indicate that they should be used at home or only in a clinical environment. Some techniques are only used in a lab environment.
Depending on whether you have decided to do the testing at home by yourself or have concluded that the only way you would get peace of mind is to have a professional do it, you will choose your preferred option. The degrees of reliability of the result obtained and the amount of narcotic substances used in the test vary.
Testing for many different substances linked to narcotic drugs can be done simultaneously. A variety of tests may be used to assess if blood, urine, saliva, or some other liquid contains just a particular substance. There are multitests, and monotests as well.
Multitests are divided into tests that are susceptive to three different drugs: marijuana, amphetamine, and morphine, with methamphetamine and cocaine joining the mix. When it comes to laboratory testing, the key list of substances that can be tested for presence in the body includes the following: opiates, including opium, cocaine and its metabolites, marijuana, amphetamine, and methamphetamine, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines.
Knowing what material is used for the analysis is vital. Blood, urine, sweat, saliva, and human hair are the four most common forms of biological fluids. Blood and urine are two of the most common substances that can provide the most complete and accurate details, while hair and sweat can give inconsistent results.
When performing a hair test and you haven’t taken any drugs, one thing to note is to make sure not to be in the same room with people who have, since the test might give a positive result. A blood drug test provides the highest degree of precision.
Best ways to pass a drug test
If you are thinking of applying for a job, one concern might be how to pass the drug test. With marijuana being legal in more and more countries, most employers are concerned about detecting drugs in their employees and how it will affect their work. A drug test mandates you to provide a hair, urine, and blood sample to a laboratory for inspection, so if you want to make sure that you are clean, these are some ways you can do that.
Detox kits are available on the market and are a common and natural way to reduce the drug levels to the point of them not being detected. In a short amount of time, the various herb supplement these kits contain can reduce toxicity levels in your body. If you click right here, you can find out more about these detox kits. The detoxification period can last from 1 to 10 days, depending on your preference. It’s advisable to drink plenty of water if you plan on using some of these kits.
Cleansing shampoos are great if you are required to get a hair follicle drug test. There is no need to shave your entire head or body because these shampoos will remove the toxins in your hair before you do the test. A person’s hair usually keeps traces of drugs for around three months. These shampoos cleanse the scalp and get to the hair follicle to get rid of the toxins. You need to wait an hour for it to work, and the effect will last for 24 hours.
The body’s natural detoxification process can also be stimulated with the help of detox drinks. However, these drinks do not clean your urine from toxins; instead, they cheat the tests by fueling the urine with vitamins and proteins. You can perform a natural cleanse, which typically lasts from 30 to 60 days, but it can take up to 90 days for heavy users. For this to work, you need to change your lifestyle and eating habits so that your body will be able to eliminate toxins in your system.
