Drug testing is a way of assessing type and amount of legal or illegal drugs taken by a person. It is a self or laboratory process which looks for evidence of drug consumption by analyzing blood, hair, sweat, saliva or urinal samples.
Tips for Parents :
Drugs among teenagers have been on the rise for some time now and have been a matter of concern to parents, family, local authorities and friends. The problem is much worse in the western countries, especially the US where teenage drug and alcohol abuse statistics show that the more and more children are falling victims to it. According to an annual survey of U.S. youth, three-fourths of 12th graders, more than two-thirds of 10th graders, and about two in every five 8th graders have consumed alcohol. How can one be sure if a teenager is on drugs? That one may be victims’ parent, a concerned school official or someone associated with a drug rehab center. Most of the children and young people are uncertain about the law concerning to drugs and the possible consequences for them in their future. If a child is caught in possession of a controlled drug they are bound to be committed a criminal offence and that will be documented by the police and also not permitted from taking up certain jobs or professions, and visiting other countries.
Tips for Employers :
Employers need consent from staff for drug testing in the workplace. Any employer will be keen to keep drug misuse away from the workplace. As well as causing ill health, drug misuse increases the chances of accidents at work and interferes with how much work is done. Because of the safety risks from drug misuse, workplace is recommended to have a policy on this matter. The policy could be drawn up between employee and employer or employee health and safety representatives. Employer has legal responsibilities to look after employee’s health and safety as far as reasonably possible and must assess any possible risks. However, there are some limits on what an employer can do to check on an employee’s activities.
Teen drug and alcohol drug abuse could possibly happen in any home or school. If you think that the police will only arrest someone who’s caught dealing drugs that is not true. Even using drugs for personal use may land a person in trouble and could lead to a large fine or time in prison.
Posts Tagged ‘Alcohol Abuse’
Drug Testing Tips
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Tags: Alcohol Abuse, Employee Health, Legal Responsibilities 
No Comments »With New Methods for Testing Substance Abuse, is Urine Alcohol Testing a Method of the Past?
Besides the workplace, there are several other types of organizations that rely on substance abuse testing results. The latest trend is hair alcohol testing and hair drug testing. Hair alcohol testing is also considered one of the least evasive substance tests around. Instead of urine alcohol testing, breath or saliva testing that demands personal body fluids, hair alcohol testing only asks for a small sample of hair, taken discreetly from the base of the scalp. This is done by trained nurses that can collect a person’s hair sample inconspicuously in their home or place of work.
The need for hair alcohol testing to prove a history of alcohol abuse is just as necessary to disprove any abuse. Several places are looking into hair alcohol testing verses urine alcohol testing as their preferred method. Not only because it’s less invasive but because hair alcohol testing can show a 30-day history of abuse or lack of abuse, where a urine alcohol test can only show at the most, a week’s notice.
Other Scenarios Where Hair Alcohol Testing is Used
• Hospitals looking to hire a surgeon or an airline hiring a pilot will likely be interested in knowing the alcohol abuse history of a surgeon or pilot before they’re hired.
• Social workers or lawyers trying to prove the lack of alcohol abuse of a parent trying to gain custody of their child.
• A rehabilitation service can use alcohol hair testing to watch the progress of a recovering patient
Once a small hair sample is taken from the base of the head, it is taken to a laboratory where several tests will be performed to see if certain markers show up on the hair shaft. These special markers only appear if the person has been drinking alcohol or abusing drugs. One specific marker, called EtG, ethyl glucuronide is one of the most exciting parts of the hair test. The more alcohol or drugs a person consumes, the greater amount of EtG markers are present in the hair.
No Long-Term History of Alcohol Abuse Was Available Until Now
EtG alcohol testing is unique compared to other alcohol tests EtG alcohol testing this test shows a history of abuse instead of hours or at most- a couple days like urine alcohol testing would. EtG testing can prove up to 12 months of alcohol abuse- unlike urine alcohol testing, which can only show about a week’s worth of alcohol abuse- because alcohol is so quickly filtered throughout the body through urine, sweat and evaporation.
As more companies and other organizations discover hair alcohol testing as an alternative to urine alcohol testing, they will find that it is more cost effective way to test for substance abuse in that no more than twice a year will it be necessary to test employees due to the length of history that it provides.
Hair alcohol testing gives peace to employers who hire for certain high profile positions, or positions that demand mentally stable individuals like surgeons, airplane pilots and those in childcare. Next time you are in an interview for a job, you may not be handed a cup, but a seat in a barber chair.
New Alcohol Testing Devices Have Parents And Teachers Talking
Alcohol hair testing is quickly becoming a leading form of testing students for alcohol and drug abuse. What’s exciting is the new alcohol testing device is the discovery that allows a parent, coach or teacher to test a student’s hair for drugs as well as alcohol abuse. Previously, only drugs were detectable with hair testing, but now, alcohol can also be detected.
This new alcohol detection device is by far the least invasive form of substance abuse testing on the market compared to urine alcohol testing, saliva or other forms of blood alcohol testing, like breath or sweat. These new findings in drug follicle hair testing have parents, high school counselors and teachers talking about student rights.
Some Parents Are Very Pleased With This New Form Of Screening, Others Are Not So
Some parents, school counselors and other people in the community think that hair alcohol testing in schools is a great idea for preventing even worse problems that could come out of early alcohol abuse. School officials want to save kids from drinking and driving and other dangerous acts that can happen under the influence of drugs and alcohol as well as set a standard for high school athletics.
Other parents feel that it is an abuse of too much power into someone’s life. Some other parents think that their child could be wrongly accused simply because many household products contain small amounts of alcohol like mouthwash, cold medicine, hand sanitizers and interfere with the test. Most often no legal action will be taken to any student that happens to come up positive for drugs or alcohol but a counseling session will most likely be required with the parents to see if help can be administered before legal action is needed. The second time the same person is found having abused drugs or alcohol, the student will be asked to leave the school and legal action may be necessary.
Several legal professionals besides outraged kids and parents think that the country was founded on the basis that people were free to make their own choices and that mandatory testing like this already sends a message to students that “you are not trusted” and therefore have to be set under a microscope. Some parents feel this lack of privacy goes against so much of what our country is founded on.
How Hair Alcohol Testing Works
If a person has been asked to give a hair sample, a certified nurse will make an appointment to come to the person’s home or school if a clinic is not available. Then a small sample is cut from the base of the head and is then either shipped or delivered to the laboratory where several tests, including EtG alcohol test will be performed to see if certain markers show up on the hair shaft. These special markers only appear if the person has been drinking or abusing drugs. What is so unique at EtG alcohol testing is that it will reveal a history of abuse instead of hours or at most- a couple days like urine alcohol testing would. Actually, EtG testing can prove up to 12 months of alcohol abuse.
Drug follicle hair testing is quite remarkable, and now alcohol detection in hair is available to schools where it wasn’t a possibility before. Even though some parents and other people in the community may be upset about the choice to randomly test students for drugs and alcohol using hair alcohol testing, the benefits greatly outweigh the negatives. Angry parents and students is one thing, help saving a kid’s life from drunk driving or other reckless behavior due to drugs and alcohol is quite another. Most schools are willing to deal with the upset over rights than the upsets over a preventable catastrophe.
