Alcohol Abuse Advice

Why is Hair Alcohol Drug Testing Being Done?

This is perhaps the question you will have in mind when an employer or any other person asks you to undergo hair testing to detect alcohol and drug abuse. Obviously, the main reason would be to prove whether you have been using any of these two substances. But aside from this, there are other reasons why you need to undergo hair alcohol drug testing.

Hair Drug Tests

Hair drug tests is actually a great way to detect if a person has used any form of illicit drugs for the past 90 days. Using the individual’s hair as samples to the process, his drug use history will also be traced. This is also being done for the following reasons:

1. To let parents know whether their teens are using or abusing drugs. In this manner, parents collect hair strands from their teen’s pillows without actually letting their child know about it. Once they have detected drug abuse through the strands they have collected, then it will be easier for them to talk to their children regarding the problem.

2. This is also requested by employers from their employees. There are also employers who require drug tests from applicants to certain job positions. In this process, the collected hair sample will be sealed inside an envelope before it is sent to a laboratory for further examination.

The reason why hair drug testing is being chosen as one of the alternatives to drug testing is because of the fact that it can detect a variety of drugs. Examples include opiates, methamphetamines, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and PCP. This is also said to be more effective than other tests for drug abuse because trace chemicals from these substances are trapped in the hair’s follicles.

What about hair alcohol tests?

Just like hair drug tests, hair alcohol tests are also being conducted by a lot of researchers today. This is for the primary purpose of detecting drinking patterns among various groups of individuals. This will make it easier to classify these groups according to social drinkers, non-drinkers and heavy drinkers.

How is this test being done? The hair absorbs certain types of components known as fatty acid ethyl esters or FAEEs and ethyl glucuronide or EtG. These substances are commonly produced when alcohol is present in the bloodstream. When the markers show high results, then that is an indication that an individual has also consumed more alcohol.

Take note however that not all hair taken right from the scalp can produce an accurate result for hair alcohol tests. It will not work for hair lengths that are less than half an inch or even for people who often shave their head. Just like hair drug tests, these tests can also trace alcohol intake in individuals even after a long period of time. It can track results from a period of several months to even years.

While hair alcohol drug testing is relatively new in the market, a lot of people and businesses have considered going through this process to detect alcohol or drug abuse. The real reason for doing these tests is security. For business owners, this is one way to secure the office and its other employees. For parents, this is a way to secure the future of their children.