Alcohol Abuse Advice

Pros and Cons of Hair Alcohol EtG Testing

Hair Alcohol EtG Testing is a recent method being used for testing a person’s level of alcohol consumption. This test checks for EtG or Ethyl Glucuronide, which is produced only when there is alcohol present in a person’s bloodstream. This fact makes EtG an ideal marker for an alcohol test. The more alcohol a person consumes, the more markers there are to be found.

As with all other testing methods, there are pros and cons to trying hair alcohol EtG tests. Here are some of these pros and cons:

Pros

1. Hair alcohol EtG testing is a non-invasive process, but can still provide an accurate history of a person’s alcohol consumption. From a hair sample, one’s history with alcohol can be traced back from many months ago or even years.

2. EtG markers remain in the hair for an indefinite period of time as long as the person does not shave his or her hair. Hair alcohol EtG testing works on most types of hair processes whether it may be hair dye, perms or bleach.

3. Extensive research shows that EtG markers are reliable enough to distinguish a person’s drinking pattern. By taking a hair alcohol test, results will be able to show if a person is not a drinker, is a social drinker or is a heavy drinker.

4. The hair test does not need refrigeration, which makes it very convenient in terms of storage and shipping. The test also offers stability, since it does not deteriorate.

5. This testing method can detect a combined use of other kinds of drugs aside from alcohol. One can have more than one type of test done with the same hair sample.

Cons

1. Hair alcohol EtG testing is relatively expensive compared to urine tests. If a company were to use this form of testing on their employees, they would be spending more than if they were using urine tests.

2. The hair test is not for everyone. It does not work on hair that is very short or is less than half an inch to an inch long. This alcohol test also does not work on people with shaved heads.

3. The hair alcohol test started being used in 2008, which means that this form of alcohol testing is so recent that many employers in the United States are not yet familiar with it. Since many have not yet heard of this testing method yet, they may doubt the accuracy of this method.

4. According to some experts hair alcohol ETG test result can show positive when the donor uses hand sanitizers and other forms of heavy Ethyl Alcohol based cleaners. So if you think the person tested might have used sanitizers or products that have active ingredient of Ethyl Alcohol, it might be best to not use Hair Alcohol ETG test.

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