Why We Should Support Saliva Drug Testing

August 24th, 2010  

Did you know that two thirds of prison inmates use illegal drugs? A third of the inmates also admit that they were under the influence of illegal drugs when they committed the crime. Estimates also show that two thirds of those involved in fatal highway accidents are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

With such high coincidence levels of drug use and illegal activity, it is only obvious that testing for drugs in prison is a regular routine.

Current Drug Testing

Saliva drug testing is still not as widespread as urine drug testing. In most cases the samples that are used are blood or urine, both of which have issues in terms of collection. While obtaining the blood sample requires the use of a needle increasing chances of infection, the urine sample needs to be obtained in the presence of an official. The blood sample also needs to be collected by a trained professional if the process has to be done correctly. Having to urinate in a cup while someone is watching is uneasy and distasteful. In contrast, a saliva drug test requires a saliva sample that can be obtained extremely easily. For a large organization that spends a lot on drug testing, you can imagine that the resources saved by switching to saliva would be pretty significant.

The Saliva Drug Test

A comprehensive saliva drug testing study was conducted by the Center of Human Toxicology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. One of the most interesting finds of the study was that not only does a saliva drug test indicate the presence of illegal drugs the concentrations in saliva also correspond to blood concentration, something that can help in developing benchmarks.

There are various benefits of saliva drug testing. The most important of these is the ease with which the sample can be obtained. The process is clean and the saliva sample can be collected by spitting or collection in a dental swab. And with this easy sample, illegal drugs like heroin, cocaine and amphetamines and more can be detected.

Challenges in Saliva Drug Testing

Collection of saliva is far easier than urine or blood. However, it does have its share of issues. Tampering of the sample used for drug testing is a common aspect of prison testing. It is therefore imperative that a test be developed to check the level of dilution that may have been done to a tampered sample.

While these small adjustments need to be made in saliva drug testing, it is only a matter of time when these challenges and issues would have been met and resolved. In that case, moving onto a saliva sample for inmate drug testing would be an easier, more comfortable and less taxing task for the prison staff and management.

– Article by Anne Hamilton

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Drug Driving Is Not Okay

March 31st, 2010  

Awareness of the dangers of “drug driving” is growing around the world. Random drug testing is popular already among schools, parents, and workplaces, and demand is increasing every day to put it into action on roadways.  Why?  Because saliva drug testing is now seen as reliable enough to be used (our test for example is 97-98% accurate).  From today’s Irish Times:

Sgt Trish Gill from Dublin city’s south central division told delegates at the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (Agsi) that roadside testing technology had progressed to such an extent in recent years that a drugs saliva test is now available to police forces.

And further down in the article…

She said both medication and illicit drugs could negatively impact driving in many different ways including impaired concentration, poor vision and an inability to properly judge speed and distance.

Drug driving was a major issue and needed to be tackled immediately with roadside testing similar to alcohol breath tests.

“Random alcohol testing has proven to be a success in reducing accidents. Random testing will have an additional effect on the overall consumption of drugs, as it has had on alcohol in some instances.”

The important thing is using a saliva drug test as a screen.  It indicates whether you are high or have used recently (since it can measure both recent use and current high, it’s not enough to just read positive to get a case together for drug driving – you also have to be demonstrably out of control of your vehicle.  For employers and parents, this part does not matter –  a no drug policy is a no drug policy, regardless of whether you are high right this minute).  When DUI checkpoints are instituted in the United States, people drive more conservatively and a message about the seriousness of drinking and driving is sent.  Drug driving can be at least as dangerous.

You can get your own version of a drug driving test by purchasing a saliva drug test from Home Health Testing.  They are easy to use and non-invasive.  If you want to make sure someone you know is not drug driving, this is the test for you.  You can easily find out if someone has recently consumed Marijuana, Cocaine, Opiates, Methamphetamines, Amphetamines, or PCP.

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Drug Testing the Center of Debate in Kansas

January 27th, 2010  

Republican lawmakers in Kansas have come up with a proposal to screen welfare recipients for drug use.  There are a few proposals on the table, and they are not exactly new.  The Kansas House of Representatives passed a similar bill last year but the Senate of the state did not.  The lawmakers in charge of reviving such proposals are in the Senate.

One proposal would require drug testing all welfare recipients – around 44,000 people.  Another bill suggests people would only be tested if there was “reasonable cause” to believe they were using drugs.

It is perhaps a controversial issue, and the Springfield News Leader presents various perspectives in their article.  Do you agree that it would help people get jobs?  Is it an effective way of improving the quality of life among those on welfare?

A home drug test, administered by yourself or someone close to you, can be an effective way of ending drug abuse.  But is what is done at home necessarily appropriate on a federal scale?

There are lots of questions about drug testing, but no question that when used correctly it can even save lives – in situations like catching someone who has stumbled back into addiction with a hair drug test, or finding that someone is high on the job with a saliva drug test.  And these are just a few examples.

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Why Can’t Hair Drug Tests Be Cheated? Find Out Here…

January 21st, 2010  

Home Health Testing strives to provide the most information about the tests we sell and what they test for.  On our main site we took a look at why hair drug tests can’t be cheated (you can read the full article at the link).  Basically we want everyone to know that our hair drug tests test what’s inside the hair – what you can’t get to with advertised shampoos and conditioners.  Sometimes the problem with drug tests is not that they aren’t accurate (they are) but that they can be faked.  With urine drug testing, people spike samples (or try to anyway) all the time.  It’s silly, but there you go.  Urine tests are certainly worth it for the range of drugs they can test (up to 12 at one time!), their value (the cheapest of all tests), and their decent detection time (a link to our chart).  Saliva drug testing is also a useful tool, because someone can take the test standing in front of you – it doesn’t have the same privacy issues as a urine-based test.

So don’t be daunted by all the “pass a drug test” sites that are out there!  Check out our article on hair follicle testing and learn more!

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3 Reasons Why The Saliva Drug Test Might Take Off This Year

January 19th, 2010   1 Comment

Well 2010 is finally here and a new decade begins.  What does that mean for the drug testing industry?  The drug testing industry is a field that was cited recently as being worth $1.5 billion – what new direction do you think the field will take to better serve employers, parents, and worried relations?

We think the direction is going to be home drug testing, and in particular the saliva drug test – and here are 3 reasons why:

1.  Great usability for any consumer.  A saliva drug test is extremely easy to use.  It does not have the “ew” factor that some may find in urine drug testing and it is really easy to administer.  Cheating the test is difficult, as you can collect the sample with the person.  So when you purchase a home drug test that uses saliva as its sample you can be confident you’re not throwing money away – important to home consumers and small businesses (especially in this economy!) alike.

2.  Ideal detection time.  Again, as a business, especially a business in a recession, you may be wondering if it is worthwhile to bring in a laboratory to drug test your employees.  Why not cut to the chase and just test yourself, using the one drug test that can tell you if somebody is actually high?  Because although there are many aspects of drug abuse that can affect behavior, in many industries the fact that someone is high can be the most urgent and dangerous aspect, and certainly the most important one to test for.  A saliva drug test has the capacity to tell you if someone is on methamphetamine 5-10 minutes after they take it.  The same goes for cocaine.  Marijuana will show up generally an hour after consumption which is still a short enough delay that you can tell if someone is high or if their work has been/will be affected.

3.  Affordability.  Again, no need for a lab – you can buy these and keep them around, and get the results instantly, all for under $15.00 a test (and that is the high price range for the technology).  Since the saliva drug tests have approximately 97% accuracy, they are a great way to ensure that the workplace is safe without breaking the budget.

These are only the top 3 reasons why home drug testing, and particularly saliva drug testing, is going to expand this coming year.  We will be expanding this series throughout the month.  If you want to drug test but haven’t thought you could afford it, or if you want to get rid of your laboratory service but don’t know what to replace it with, take a look at our article and the links on the side!

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The Home Drug Test That Can Catch a College Student’s Drug of Choice

January 11th, 2010  

Ritalin and Adderall are two drugs that have been used extensively in the treatment of disorders like Attention Deficit Disorder also known as ADD. These drugs are an integral part of a treatment program that includes psychological, educational and social measures.

College students can and do temporarily increase concentration levels by taking these analeptics that stimulate the central nervous system during exams or otherwise (regardless of whether they have a prescription for the medication). An estimated 20 percent of college students have turned to this method of staying focused. One of the best ways in which the use of these drugs can be abated is by using a home drug test.

It is hypothesized that teenagers fake ADD or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) to obtain a prescription for the drugs. This allows them access to the drug which is otherwise not sold over the counter. They also can obtain these drugs through a black market trade amongst peers.

Fortunately for parents, Adderall can be tested by a home drug test. A test for amphetamines will cover Adderall, as well as other amphetamines you might be concerned about. If you believe your child is using “uppers” then this is the type of test that will address your concern.

The Adderall drug test allows parents to have much better control over their children with regards to their medication. Children who have been prescribed the drug need to take it at regular intervals as per their doctor. If the child is not taking the drug any longer an amphetamines drug test can establish that, which may also mean the child has been distributing the drug to peers.

The Adderall  drug test is also extremely easy to read. If the home drug test for either prescription drug is positive a line will appear in the “control” region to indicate that the test was successful. There will in the case of a positive result be NO line in the “test” area. A negative home drug test result is obtained when there are two lines – one in the “control” area and one in the “test” area.

A simple urine sample is required for the test and therefore you may have to be careful about the manner in which you collect the sample and the authenticity of the same.

Ascertaining whether your child is dependent on these prescription drugs is important. You do not want your child to become dependent on crutches like drugs and chemicals to succeed in life. In addition to that a Adderall drug test can keep your child from consuming these drugs, which can cause medical problems and in the most tragic cases death.

–  Anne Hamilton

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