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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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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New Articles Available on the Main Site

January 6th, 2010  

Hi everyone!  Did you know we’ve been very busy at Home Health Testing providing new and clear information on our line of home drug and home health tests?  Yes, it’s true!  Take a look at some of our longer articles, put on the main site due to their size.  If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or contact us!

Business Solutions – The Hair Drug Test

Home Drug Test Instantly With Saliva Tests

Why Home Drug Testing Can Help Solve The Prescription Drug Abuse Problem

Home HIV Test – 5 Good Reasons Why You Should Take One

Home Thyroid Test – 3 Reasons to Take One (also published on ezinearticles as 3 Reasons to Take a Home Thyroid Test)

Nicotine Tests and Insurance Policies

If you don’t see the topic you would like to know more about, let us know!

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5 Advantages to Home Drug Testing

December 16th, 2009  

A home drug test is a scientific piece of equipment that allows you to conduct an experiment at home that tells you whether the person from whom the sample is taken has been taking drugs or not. While home drug testing is becoming extremely popular among parents of teens, the drug testing kits are also being used in schools, offices and small businesses.

These home tests can be used to detect harmful drugs like THC (called marijuana, weed, pot or hash), opiates (heroin, morphine or codeine), cocaine (crack or snow), MDMA (ecstasy or X), Amphetamines (speed or uppers) and Benzodiazepines (Valium or Xanax).

A home drug test has various advantages over a test that is done in the laboratory. The top 5 advantages of testing drugs at home are listed below:

1. Faster results – This test can be done within minutes. You do not have to collect the sample, deliver it to the laboratory and then wait patiently for the results to come in. With a drug test kit, you can take a sample and use a disposable drug test to know the answer to the question that has been plaguing you for some time.

2. A deterrence for children – Teenage drug users may try to convince other teenagers that they should give drugs a try because their parents will never find out. Now teens and parents can counter this with an easy retort about the availability of a home drug test at home. This helps in providing children with a convenient way of getting out of a situation and parents an easy way to help buy xenical online their children.

3. Affordable – A urine or a hair follicle drug test is relatively cheaper as compared to a laboratory test. The cost advantage of an at home drug test is evident especially when you look at employers who are using the tests. These employers find the tests easier to pay for and administer – and if the prospective employee fails, the burden falls to them to prove they are drug-free by taking a more expensive laboratory test.

4. Private – A home drug test can also help you maintain your privacy. This is particularly important in smaller towns where you may not want the whole local area to know that you have had drug testing done for your child.

5. Convenient – In addition to all that has been mentioned above home drug testing is extremely easy to use and convenient for all. The item can be carried on a vacation and can be used anywhere. A saliva test or disposable breath alcohol test can simply fit in your pocket and be used without any sort of trouble or invasion of physical privacy.

While drug testing at home has many positives, such kits should be used judiciously. False positives that can be caused by poppy seeds, mouthwashes and medicines can lead to false accusations and therefore knowing the right time of using a home drug test is critical. However, most home drug test kits are FDA Approved (check specific products to be sure) and with upwards of 95% accuracy are a great way to start a conversation about drug use.

–Anne Hamilton

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