Having a drug-free environment is of utmost importance today since the abuse of illegal substances is on the rise. Drug testing has become a common occurrence widely used by employers, courts, or police. In a growing number of cases, people started to apply this method for private purposes (testing teenage kids or partners for illegal substance).
Drug users do the most harm to themselves, but can be potentially dangerous to their family, friends, or colleagues. That is why, in some instances, drug screenings are conducted regularly. If people take illicit substances, it does not necessarily reduce their ability to work or make them inappropriate for public appearance.
Maybe someone has to use opiates, such as medical marijuana (which you can read about here) or tranquilizer pills that some drug tests identify as illegal opiates. Because of this possible misunderstanding, it is good to know what its purpose is and how the hair follicle test works.
Which Opiates It Detects
There is one mitigating circumstance for people who will go for hair drug screening. This analysis does not identify the amount of toxins in your body or the substance you used. For example, if the test is positive, no one can find out which drug the test was positive.
Which opiates will be the subjects of examination depending on which panel is used. The test can be done on 5, 9, or 15 different opioids. Chemicals used in examining the hair sample react with ‘light’ drugs like cannabis, PCP, amphetamines, and all kinds of stuff used in conventional medications. But it will also detect harmful substances like cocaine or methadone.
For further analysis, experts usually recommend blood tests, which have proven to be the most detailed and reliable. However, if opiate use were determined over a few days ago, then a blood test would be useless. However, science and medicine are making tremendous progress, and new methods are being developed to identify the presence of illegal substances.
Reliability of Hair Drug Test
The period of detection for a hair drug test is quite long – up to 90 days since the last drug use. Many would think that this is why its accuracy is lower than with other testing methods, but it’s the opposite way. If you provide fair sampling, this analysis of hair follicle is very accurate.
In very few cases, false positive or false negative results occur. Generally, there is no need for retesting unless lab technicians determine irregularities in the sampling process. The one who ordered the test can ask for further examinations after positive test results. That’s because hair follicle test can’t determine the type of opiate in the sample.
Can Drug Users Pass It?
The only way to be sure about passing the drug test is more prolonged abstinence. Recreational users usually have no problems doing this. Due to the smaller amount of drug toxins in their body, it will be easier for them to cleanse their organism.
But active drug users could have some difficulties. They probably wonder how long it takes to pass a hair drug test. It’s not impossible, but they have to be persistent and, at least, try not to use opiates until they finish the sampling process.
Cheating on a hair drug test is almost impossible, so people have to think of other ways. But only these are correct – to eliminate toxins from your hair or mask them. Depending on how much time they have before taking the test, they will look for some of the proven hair and body detox products, or try to cleanse themselves with home-made methods.
Both can be effective, but passing the test is only assured when you are completely clean. If you think that shaving of the entire body or using someone’s hair can help, you’re wrong. These methods are already seen many times, and yes, lab technicians quickly detect these types of cheating.
Is Hair Drug Screening the Best Option for Employers?
In many business areas, the law finds regular testing of workers and job applicants. It most often applies to state and federal jobs, high-risk or highly responsible work positions, but also jobs of social importance. Moreover, no employer is tolerant of drug users.
Since higher instances require companies to conduct these screenings, employers must add them as a flat rate cost during the year. And these tests can sometimes be done every month. So it makes sense for companies to want something reliable, efficient, and yet inexpensive and quickly feasible. Hair follicle test is all that.
Drug screenings can be done within the company, although, in most cases, they send samples to accredited laboratories. Even the sampling process is as easy as possible. Sometimes, employees do that all by themselves. It only matters that the sampler meets some standards. The specimen has to be the proper length and thickness. Only this way, a lab will consider it relevant.
Legal Issues
Employers usually use urine drug test, but the one using hair follicle as a sample also has its benefits. If you own a business and want to test your employees on illicit substances, you should know that employees have rights concerning their privacy. They can always say ‘no’ when asking for a drug test.
To learn more about the fairness of drug screening at the workplace, check the link below:
https://www.workplacefairness.org/drug-testing-workplace
Still, state and federal laws are on the side of companies. In most workplaces, undergoing a drug screening is obligatory during the pre-employment process, and later, during the work. Employers can announce it any time, but they must inform the employees.
Avoiding drug screening is not advisable, as it may impose certain sanctions. Sometimes this will have the same importance as a negative result. If you are expecting a test in a few days, and you are anxious about the recent use of opiates, do your best to clean yourself. The Internet provides a wealth of useful content about products and methods that will help you with your detox, so get down to work.
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