Drug testing and addiction treatment is essential for a number of reasons depending on the situation. For example, many workplaces have strict substance abuse policies and enforce drug testing employees. This is because, aside from the obvious fact that drug abuse is illegal, drug addicts tend to be not only a danger to themselves in a working environment, but also to others around them.
When it comes to drug rehabilitation centers, drug testing is a necessary part of the diagnosis and treatment process. Knowing the kind of drug that is being abused, the amount found present in the body at the time of testing and the possible presence of any other drugs that may have been abused at the same time (leading to dual diagnosis) are all important factors in determining the most appropriate drug addiction recovery program.
Testing Methods
There are five methods of drug testing, each different according to the substance for which the test is being performed and the period of time that is to be analyzed. For instance, some tests can detect certain types of substance abuse as far back as 90 days prior to testing whilst some drugs can only be detected in the subject by one kind of test.
Urine Test
The urine test involves obtaining a sample of urine, which is then tested for the presence of drug metabolites that may still be present in the body. This test is the most widely used in workplaces as it is deemed less invasive than blood tests. It also detects the presence of drug metabolites over a greater timescale than most other tests, giving results ranging (depending on the drug abused) from hours to up to 12 weeks since the last use of the drug in question. Because all drugs, including alcohol and regular cigarette smoking, result in by-products that can be detected in the urine, this type of testing is used in cases where the particular type of drug(s) being abused is unknown. The drawback of urine testing is the user can, if aware of an impending drug test, avoid a positive result by not taking the abused substance for a few days prior to the test. This of course depends on the substance, but, even so, the addict can still interfere with the urine sample by adding chemicals to it or even provide a sample of urine that is not his own! It is for this reason that some situations call for a supervised sample to prevent tampering and ensure validity.
Saliva Test
Saliva samples are analyzed for traces of abused substances. Saliva testing is particularly useful for detecting drug abuse that has occurred within the previous few days. Although accurate at detecting certain substance abuse it is relatively poor at detecting other drugs, such as Marijuana. Another factor that may result in the test not detecting substance abuse is if the drug was not taken orally. There are many products available that claim to ‘clean’ the saliva to ensure a negative test result. Abstaining from drug use for a few days can also deceive the test, as the detection period is so short.
Hair Test
Hair is like the body’s history book in that it stores information about nutrition, health, fitness and ingested chemicals. The hair test involves obtaining a sample of hair of about a half centimeter diameter (more than one strand), which is then subjected to chemical analysis, namely, the measurement of drug residues present on the hair shaft and follicle. The hair test usually gives a more accurate result than the urine test, but can only detect drug abuse that has occurred more than 1 week before the test, due to the slow rate of hair growth. Inaccuracy can occur with some drugs as certain substances can migrate along the hair shaft, giving the impression that the drug abuse has been taking place for longer than it actually has. It is harder to cheat with this type of drug testing, as it keeps a long term record of bodily changes that are hard to ‘cleanse’ or ‘erase’.
Sweat Test
In this case, sweat is collected with the use of a patch. Sweat is the body’s way of regulating temperature, but also excreting toxins in the tissues produced by substance abuse. The patch is worn over a period of time, usually a week, after which, the collected sweat is analyzed for drug abuse by-products. There is some controversy surrounding the accuracy of these tests, due to skin contaminants, this being the reason that this particular test is not commonly used.
Blood Test
By far the most accurate and reliable, the blood test is also the most expensive method of drug testing. Blood samples are analyzed for drug residues, by-products and toxins. It is extremely hard to cheat these tests as there is no way to ‘cleanse’ the blood without a medical reason and professional assistance. Drug metabolites are stored in the body’s tissues and slowly released over a period of time, often years, into the blood stream. The concentration of these substances in the blood gives an accurate indication of when the drug was used and how much was taken. Due to their accuracy and reliability, blood tests are the most common method of drug detection in drug treatment and rehabilitation centers.
An Essential Part of the Drug Addiction Treatment Process
Drug testing and addiction treatment is a necessity when attempting to make an accurate diagnosis of any user’s condition. Only by knowing the exact composition and amount of the drug, or drugs, present in the body can a successful diagnosis be made. In turn, an accurate diagnosis is the first and most important step in creating a drug rehab recovery program that is specifically suited to the needs of the addict, thus resulting in successful rehabilitation with significantly decreased risk of relapse.
