An Easy Guide To Understanding How Drug Tests Work
In today’s society, drug use is a prevalent issue. In the workplace, it causes great problems for employers as they try to maintain a safe and productive work environment. In order to stay competitive in this tough economy, employees need to be able to make rational decisions about their actions at work. So, if you are in need, here is how drug tests work and what they are.
What Are Drug Tests Used For?
Drug tests can be used to detect any number of substances, and there is a wide variety of drug test types. Drug testing in the workplace has become incredibly prevalent as employers try to make sure that they are running a safe and productive business environment. Many employees need to remain sharp at all times, even when they’re not actually working.
By keeping drugs out of the picture, employers can help ensure that their employees stay focused and concentrated on their work. There are saliva drug tests, urine drug tests, and blood drug tests. Each type of test screens for a specific range of substances and provides employers with information about the safety and productivity of their employees. This will also improve employee morale as well as their overall attitude towards jobs and tasks assigned by management.
Which Drugs Do Drug Tests Test For?
There are many types of drug tests, but they tend to be broken down into two main categories: pre-employment and periodic. Pre-employment testing is normally offered to job applicants and tends to be used as a way of gauging who would be most suitable for the position being filled. This type of drug test checks the body for any sign that an individual has recently been using illicit substances. A post-accident test can also fall into this category, although it is normally only administered if something has happened which could have caused serious damage or death to someone involved.
Periodic drug testing is run on employees who are already employed by an organization, either randomly or following some kind of event which indicates that their behavior may have been affected by drugs. This type of test looks for signs of long-term use instead of recent ingestion. Sometimes, this type of drug test can also be referred to as an “ongoing” or “random” test. Drug testing is often a contentious subject for employees and employers alike. Nevertheless, it remains a necessary measure in ensuring that everyone who goes to work has the ability to make rational decisions about their behavior even when they are not actually at work.
What Do Drug Tests Look For?
Depending on the type of drug test that is being administered, it may simply look for certain types of drugs, any number of drugs, or specific combinations of drugs. Each substance has a certain chemical, drug tests will normally look for the presence of these in an individual’s urine, blood, or saliva. There are also some other kinds of drug testing that can be done orally or through hair follicles.
Drug tests can take several days to determine whether an individual has recently ingested illicit substances, but they’re not always 100% accurate. This is why it is important that employers understand that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” type of drug test and employ testers who know what they’re doing to ensure accuracy and impartiality in results. As long as everyone remains fully aware of what types of tests are being administered and why there should be no problems at all.
What Happens If Someone Tests Positive On A Drug Test?
While this largely depends on the type of drug test that has been administered, there are numerous options available when it comes to confirming results. There are certain things that may indicate a positive drug test result including high temperature, dilated pupils, or anything else which seems out of the norm in terms of what you would normally expect from an individual who has not yet used drugs.
The possibility always exists for blood tests to confirm the presence of illicit substances in the body, even if they have already passed through the system by this time. Hair follicle drug tests can also be used to confirm past use, even though this type of testing cannot actually determine when that use took place. As long as all parties remain up-to-date about exactly what is being tested for and how it is being analyzed, there should never be any problems with a drug test result.
Before a person can be allowed to work at a place, say for instance a casino, the business must give them a drug test first. Drug tests do not only check whether someone has been using drugs in the past few days, but they also look out for drugs that have been used in the last three months. People are usually pretty nervous when it comes to this sort of thing because they know that if they come up positive then they will most likely lose their job opportunity.
Drug tests are accurate in finding traces of drugs hiding in your body, but sometimes these traces are way beyond detectable levels. It all depends on when you took the drug and how often you take it.
What Do People Sometimes Do In Order To Pass?
Some people might think that because drug tests always check for any traces of drugs, taking some would make the result negative. This is not true; if you take drugs before drug testing, it will still show in your system and will most likely get you fired (drug-free workplace excepted). There are, however, some ways to pass a drug test without using illegal substances.
One way is to drink a lot of water before the test and urinate many times after. It takes about 10 hours for urine to be completely flushed out from your body, so drinking at least 8 glasses (64 oz.) of water daily or 7 days prior to your test should help flush out all traces of drugs from your system. Drinking more than 65 oz., however, may produce a dilute sample which usually gets a positive result.
Employers and employees everywhere should be well aware of what drug tests entail and what they do. The more educated people are about the topic, the better off everyone will be in the long run. There may never be a foolproof way to know if someone is lying about using drugs, but these tests give both parties a chance to know for sure. A drug-free environment benefits everyone, and that is what this guide hopes to accomplish in the end.