Mouprise.com

Everything you need to know about saliva drug tests

With the increase in illegal drug use in the United States, it has become necessary to detect and prevent addiction in drug users. Drug testing is the process of detecting the presence of drugs in the individual’s biological system. These tests are classified into different types depending on the type of sample taken from the suspect. They include urine, saliva, hair, and blood tests. The saliva drug test detects traces of the drug present in an individual’s saliva. Here are some facts you should know about saliva tests.

Where is it used?
Saliva drug testing is most commonly used in workplaces and homes. Substance abuse in the workplace has many negative effects for both the employee and the employer. In general, employers use saliva tests to detect drug-abusing employees, as they are non-invasive and can also be performed on-site. Employers conduct saliva tests in different situations, such as before hiring a candidate and after a workplace accident. They also perform these tests on a regular and sometimes random basis.

This test is also used by parents at home to check if their teens are addicted to illegal drugs. Most parents prefer this test because children will not have a chance to adulterate the sample.

More recent drug abuse can be detected by a saliva test. For what is done at the time of the accidents to find out if the accident has been caused by the effect of drug use. It is an effective way to find drug-abusing drivers. These tests are also conducted by the courts for the purpose of determining if they are under the influence of drugs during the crime.

How is it used?
The saliva drug test is very easy to use. A swab is placed between the person’s gums and lower cheek for two minutes. Most saliva drug test kits use immunoassays to detect the drug. When the level of drug present in the sample is below the cutoff concentration, the specific antibody binding sites are not saturated. Therefore, a reaction between the drug-protein conjugate occurs and the kit shows a visible colored line. When drug levels in the sample are above cut-off levels, the antibodies become saturated and no colored line is seen. Therefore, the appearance of a colored line indicates no drug abuse and the absence of a colored line on the kit indicates drug abuse. One can easily notice and understand the result of saliva test kits.

drugs it detects
A saliva test detects all commonly abused drugs, including

• dope
• Cocaine
• Opioids
• Phencyclidine (PCP)
• Amphetamine
• Methamphetamine
• Alcohol
• Benzodiazepines

Multiple drugs can also be detected at once by saliva drug tests. Multi-panel test kits serve this time- and money-saving purpose.

Advantage
Employers, parents, school administrations, and other organizations use saliva drug tests because of the benefits listed below.

Easy to use
A saliva drug test can be used easily. The sample can be collected without much effort. It does not require a large number of tools and therefore can be carried anywhere.

non-invasive method
Unlike other tests, suspects do not need to go to laboratories or bathrooms to give the sample. The sample is taken from the mouth so it is not invasive. There is no pain associated with the administration of the test.

Economic
Saliva tests are cost effective compared to blood and hair tests. Due to their affordable price, most parents prefer to use them. Also, employers use it to reduce the costs of drug testing employees.

quick results
You can get quick and accurate results using a saliva drug test. It can give you the result within 5-10 minutes.

Apart from these benefits, it has some other advantages. The sample for testing can be collected under direct supervision. You do not need to consider privacy issues and therefore can be used in workplaces. As a result, there is less chance of adulterating the sample.

Screening for commonly used drugs
A saliva test detects the most recent drug abuse. It can even detect the drug taken an hour or two before the test. The test can detect the drug for about 12 to 24 hours. Methamphetamine and PCP were found to be detectable by a 3-day saliva test.

Regular drug testing in workplaces, homes, and schools minimizes drug abuse problems in society. An easy and cost-effective saliva drug testing method can be used to detect drug abusers.