The majority of drug tests are urine tests. There are two types.
Screening Type
|
Substance Tested / Comments
|
Standard Urine Tests
|
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Advanced Urine Tests
|
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Hair Tests
|
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Blood Tests
|
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Other Tests
|
|
Substance
|
Standard Tests
|
Detection Period (hrs)
|
Comments |
amphetamines
|
Y | 24-72 | False positives may be caused by a variety of over-the-shelf & prescription medicines - see full list here |
Cannabis
|
Y | 48-72 |
Can be detected up to 12 weeks in a chronic user |
Cocaine
|
Y | 48-120 | Longer times will be observed in the habituated person using large quantities |
Ecstasy (MDMA)
Ecstasy Drug Testing |
N | 24-72 | Can be detected by a test for Amphetamines |
Heroin (Opiates)
|
Y | 24-48 | Several over the counter medicines may cause false positives in heroin drug tests - list here |
Ketamine
Ketamine Tests |
N | Unknown | Tests for K are extremely unlikely |
LSD
More on LSD drug testing here |
N | 24-48 | Very unlikely test as amounts used are microscopic |
Mushrooms (Psilocybin)
Magic Mushrooms Drug Test |
N | unknown | Very unlikely test |
Methamphetamines
|
Y | 24-96 | Dependant on factors such as amount used, fluid intake, excretion, and urinary pH |
To test positive for drugs or alcohol, an initial screening test and a follow-up one must show the same result. People interested in being hired by federal agencies must be prepared to undergo a drug screening as part of the hiring process. A company hiring commercial truck drivers is required to test employees operating vehicles following an accident or for cause. A positive drug or alcohol test may mean loss of a job or the opportunity to work in certain areas.
A negative test for drugs or alcohol doesn't necessarily mean that no evidence of substance abuse was found in the sample provided by the subject. It indicates that any amount detected is lower than the cutoff established for that drug. A negative drug test indicating any level of a controlled substance should be taken as a red flag that the subject is at risk for a positive result if the test were repeated. After dodging that bullet, it may be time to reconsider whether continuing to use is worth the risk.
Substance |
Detectable in Saliva |
Detection Period (hours) |
Detectable in Urine | Detection Period (days) |
Detectable in Hair |
Detection Period (days) |
Amphetamine (AMP)
|
5-10 min after use | 72 | 2-5 hours after use | 2-4 | 5-7 days after use | 90 |
Methamphetamine (mAMP)
|
5-10 min after use | 72 | 2-5 hours after use | 3-5 | 5-7 days after use | 90 |
Cocaine (COC)
|
5-10 min after use | 24 | 2-5 hours after use | 2-4 | 5-7 days after use | 90 |
Opiates, Heroin (OPI)
|
1 hour after use | 7-21 | 2-5 hours after use | 2-4 | 5-7 days after use | 90 |
Marijuana (THC)
|
1 hour after use | 12 | 2-5 hours after use | 15-30 | 5-7 days after use | 90 |
Phencyclidine (PCP)
|
- | 24-72 | 2-5 hours after use | 7-14 | 5-7 days after use | 90 |
Benzodiazepines (BZO)
|
- | - | 2-5 hours after use | 3-7 | - | - |
Ecstasy (MDMA)
|
- | - | 2-5 hours after use | 1-3 | 5-7 days after use | 90 |
Barbiturates (BAR)
|
- | - | 2-5 hours after use | 4-7 | - | - |
Methadone (MTD)
|
- | - | 2-5 hours after use | 3-5 | - | - |
Oxycodone (OXY)
|
- | - | 2-5 hours after use | 2-4 | 5-7 days after use | 90 |
***This information is taken from government sponsored sources as well as package inserts from popular Saliva, Urine, and Hair Tests. This chart and these stats should be taken only as a general guide - detection times will vary based on a number of factors including frequency of use, route of administration, body mass, and age.
Have you ever been asked to provide a breath sample during a traffic stop by police? If so, you have been given an alcohol test. Employers and school administrators may also be interested in finding out whether a job applicant or a student uses alcohol regularly and may use a number of methods to find out this valuable information, including testing blood, saliva and hair.
Marijuana is a commonly-used illegal drug and a number of people who are asked to undergo a drug test don't think about their pot use when they provide a sample. Drug tests can detect the presence of THC, the ingredient that gives pot smokers their high, quite easily, since it stays in the user's system for some time - as long as 30 days in some cases.
Cocaine tests look for the presence of benzoylecgonine in urine. Using this substance can be detected up to 60 hours after the last time the drug was used. If a hair test is conducted, it can show a prior history of coke use even if the subject has already stopped using the drug.
Learn more about the detox and withdrawal recovery process, and explore our directory of detox centers across the US by following a link below.