Drug Test Methods
There are four primary types of drug sample: urine, hair, saliva, and blood. Most common is the urine test which has the benefit of being inexpensive and less intrusive than the blood test.
Urine Tests
 Are the least expensive of the test methods
Can be done at home (for example by parents)
Detect use primarily within the past week (longer with regular use)
Can be affected by abstaining from use for a period of time before the test
Are often temperature tested to insure sample integrity
Hair Tests
Are considered the least intrusive method of drug testing
Are currently many times more expensive than urine tests
Detects substance use over a longer period
Do not usually detect use within the past week
Requires a sample of hair about the diameter of a pencil and 1.5 inches long - test cannot be done with a single hair
Test positive a little more than twice as often as a urine test |
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Drug Test Methods
Hair Tests (continued)
Are not significantly affected by brief periods of abstinence from drugs
Can sometimes be used to determine when use occured and if it has been discontinued
Claims to be able to reliably differentiate between opiate and poppy seed use
Saliva Tests
Can be done at home (for example by parents)
Detect use primarily within the past week (longer with regular use)
Can be affected by abstaining from use for a period of time before the test
Blood Tests
Are considered the most intrusive method of testing
Are the most expensive method of testing
Are the most accurate method of testing
Are the least common method of testing (most likely due to cost)
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