Reliable Drug and Alcohol Testing

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Drug 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

Questions? Contact Us Today!

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.

Whether you need a reliable company program to provide pre-employment drug screenings, or you want to ensure your business is compliant with government requirements, we are here to help.

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?

Oral fluid drug testing has the shortest drug detection times. Drug use history varies with each drug tested. The ranges in amount and frequency of use, metabolic rate, body mass, age, overall health, and drug tolerance are determining factors. The chart below gives approximate detection periods for each drug tested:

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

Pros for oral fluid testing:

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)

Cons for oral fluid testing:

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?

Fingernails and toenails can show between 8 to 12 months of drug history. It is best to gather 100 milligrams of specimen for testing. Clipping from 2 to 3 millimeters off all fingernails and toenails should equal 100 milligrams.

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.