Reliable Drug and Alcohol Testing
DATCS is the top drug and alcohol screening company in the U.S.
We have built a reputation as educators in our industry, and we genuinely believe that drug testing saves lives and money while protecting your workplace, community, and school.
With over 35 years of experience providing drug testing services, we use the most reliable screening methods in the industry, including urine, hair, breath, oral fluids and nails.
Alcohol abuse is a significant health and economic concern in the United States today, costing America over $233 billion annually. More than 50% of child custody cases involve alcohol and drug abuse as a factor for judges to consider.
Drug Testing
Reasons for drug testing
- 75% of drug users are employed
- 40% of all users will steal from your organization
- 38% of work-related accidents involve drug & alcohol users
- 60% of drug users will sell to other employees
- 3 times more sick days from employed drug users
- 8 times as many hospital days from employed drug users
- 16 times as many absences from employed drug users
- 20% of people killed at work test positive for drugs
- A generation ago, only 10% of children age 12 were exposed to drugs. Today, it is approaching 50%. The younger a person is exposed, the higher the chance of becoming addicted.
- Drug testing is tax-deductible
- Peace of mind is knowing you have a drug-free workplace, community, and school.
Drug Testing FAQ
What is the preferred specimen type for workplace drug-testing programs and employment drug screenings?
There is no clear-cut answer. Employers should evaluate the various testing methods to determine which specimen type best meets the needs of their organization.
The choice depends on a variety of factors:
- DOT mandates urine testing
- Level of risk tolerance
- Cost
- Detection period (How far you want to go back in time)
- Type of testing (Pre-employment, random tests, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, follow-up, or return-to-duty)
- Method required by company policy
- Individual needs
- Court required testing
If you must follow the Department of Transportation Federal Program Guidelines, urine is the only screening method available at this time. Changes are coming, however, and DATCS will keep you informed about these changes.
The different specimen choices can be very confusing. Each testing method has strengths and weaknesses — DATCS can help you develop and customize a drug program to fit your needs.
How does hair testing compare to urinalysis?
Hair and Nail testing have the longest detection period and are the most popular for court-ordered drug testing.
Pros for hair testing:
- Wider window of detection (up to 90 days)
- No shy bladder incidents
- Inability to tamper with the test
- Higher rate of positive results
- Good test for cocaine detection
- Suitable for pre-employment due to detection window
Cons for hair testing:
- Relatively high cost
- Takes approximately 5 to 10 days from the time of drug use for detection
- Longer turnaround times
- Challenging when donor has shaved or is void of head/body hair
Pros for urine testing:
- Inexpensive
- Proven track record
- Approved for federal testing (including Department of Transportation)
- Applicable for a variety of testing reasons, including pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, follow-up, and return-to-duty screening
- Dependable
- Wider range of drugs can be detected
Cons for urine testing:
- Vulnerable to adulteration (cheating)
- Difficulty in providing a sample (Shy bladder)
- Shorter detection period
Which specimen has the shortest detection period?
| Drug | Cutoff Level | Approximate Detection Time in Oral fluid |
| Amphetamine | 1,000 ng/mL | 1-3 days |
| Cocaine | 300 ng/mL | 1-3 days |
| Methamphetamine | 1,000 ng/mL | 1-3 days |
| Opiates | 2,000 ng/mL | 1-3 days |
| Phencyclidine | 25 ng/mL | 1-3 days |
| THC | 50 ng/mL | 6-12 Hours |
- Makes mobile collections easier because no bathroom is needed
- Eliminates a three hour wait for a shy bladder
- Makes adulteration significantly harder for donors since it is collected under direct observation
- Has a narrow but immediate detection window, making it a natural choice for reasonable suspicion testing and post-accident testing
- Lab-based testing for oral fluids has proven to be scientifically accurate (equivalent to urine)
- Does not detect illicit drug use beyond 48 hours
- Cannot measure frequency of use
- Not currently approved for federal testing (SAMHSA is in the process of defining rules to incorporate it in future federal testing.)
- No federally-approved labs are available for testing
- Limited on the type of drugs tested
If my company does not fall under federal drug testing, how many drugs should I test for
Results from more than 5.5 million drug tests reveal an 18% jump in opiate positives in the general U.S. workforce in a single year. Schedule 1 opioids increased by a staggering 380%. Depending on your company policy, and the type of work your company does, these laboratory statistics suggest using a 10 panel with expanded opiates to cover the abuse of these prescription drugs.
Drugs below are the most abused drugs in the workplace:
What is the detection period for nail testing, and how is it done?
How do you implement a drug program for a company?
Before you administer employee drug screenings, it is critical that your company has a drug/alcohol testing policy. State drug testing laws may mandate substance testing for some businesses, exceptions being ones that fall under US DOT. A policy enforces consistency and can prevent litigation regarding drug tests resulting in termination and other sensitive matters. DATCS can guide you in state drug testing laws.
There are 6 key steps to making any organization an active drug-free workplace:
- A sound, up-to-date comprehensive drug and alcohol policy
- Pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, return-to-duty, and follow-up drug testing
- In-house employee assistance program or an up-to-date resource referral list
- Supervisor training on the indicators of drug and alcohol abuse, and a reasonable suspicion incident
- Ongoing employee education
- A trained DER in charge of the random program
If your company does not have a policy in place and you’re not exactly sure how to develop one yourself, the professionals at DATCS will be happy to assist you. In fact, we offer a model policy that can be customized to your specifications.
These services are a business expense and are 100% tax deductible, so setting up a drug and alcohol testing program makes sense in today’s world. Encouraging your employees to remain drug free protects your organization, your employees, and your community, and saves you money!
If you need to administer pre-employment drug screening tests or implement a company-wide testing program, contact us today.