Types of Drug Tests & Screening

Drug tests are probably not a topic everybody loves to talk about, but they’re becoming increasingly relevant, especially in workplaces, sports, and even schools. Whether you’re on the receiving end of the test or the one handing them out, it’s vital that everybody involved knows how they work and their legal rights. 

What Are the Different Methods of Drug Testing?

Despite technological advances, employment drug testing remains a complex procedure that must be followed carefully to comply with legal guidelines. There’s no one-size-fits-all test that covers every drug, meaning there are several ways to screen for substances, which can detect what drugs are present and how long ago they were used. 

Urine Testing

Good old-fashioned urine testing remains the most popular method of drug screening. It’s cost-effective, noninvasive, and widely accepted in most industries. Urine tests check for drug metabolites, which are substances your body creates when it breaks down a drug. Since metabolites hang around in your system for a while, urine tests can detect drug use from days—even weeks—ago, depending on the drug.

However, the metabolites are also the downside. Urine testing sometimes struggles to pick up very recent drug use, and they can sometimes be fooled with various “detox” products on the market. It’s the cheapest and most popular way to do it, but it’s not always the best. 

Hair Testing

If an employer wants a comprehensive view of long-term drug use, hair testing is an excellent way to do it. While urine testing is usually limited to under a month, your hair stores drug use information for up to 90 days. After using a substance, it travels through your bloodstream and eventually to your hair follicles, where it stays trapped as your hair grows.

A small section of hair—usually about 1.5 inches from the root—is cut and tested for various substances. Hair tests are especially hard to fake, which makes them useful in certain situations.

The catch is that, like urine testing, hair strands won’t be able to pick up very recent drug use. They’re also more expensive than urine tests, which makes them less common in some industries.

Saliva Testing

While hair and urine tests can give you an accurate view of anything from a day or two all the way up to 90 days, saliva testing is the complete opposite. These oral fluid tests are becoming increasingly popular, particularly for on-the-spot testing, because they can pick up substances almost immediately after ingestion. 

It’s an excellent form of testing if an employer believes somebody to be currently impaired but is practically useless outside a 24-hour window.

Other Types of Drug Tests

While urine, hair, and saliva tests are the big players, other methods are used in specific situations.

Blood Tests

Blood tests are the most accurate way to tell whether somebody has used drugs or alcohol recently, but it’s also expensive and invasive. Blood testing is often reserved for severe situations where a definite answer is needed on the spot, such as after an accident. However, like with saliva testing, drugs tend to leave the bloodstream quickly, making them less useful for determining long-term drug usage.

Breath Alcohol Tests

Breath alcohol tests, often using a breathalyzer, measure the amount of alcohol in your system in real-time. It’s a fast and efficient way to detect current impairment from alcohol, but it won’t tell you anything about drug use or even past alcohol consumption. It’s a very specific tool for a particular purpose.

The Drug Testing Process

The drug testing steps can vary slightly depending on the method, but in general, here’s what you can expect:

• Sample Collection: A sample can be collected via any of the means mentioned above. This is done under controlled conditions to prevent tampering or cheating. Don’t worry; nobody will be following you into the bathroom stall. However, you will be asked to leave any personal items outside, and it’s likely somebody will be monitoring you in the bathroom. 
• Sample Handling: After the sample is given, it’s sent off to a laboratory for analysis, where it will undergo several tests to identify certain drugs.
• Initial Screening: The initial screening is a broad sweep to determine whether any drugs are present. If it’s a no, the sample will be returned negative, but if it’s positive, it must then move on to the next stage to determine what substances are present. 
• Confirmation Testing: If the initial screen finds something, the sample is tested again using a more precise method, like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This is the gold standard for drug testing, and it confirms what substances are present and in what amount.
• Results: Finally, the results are reported back—either as positive or negative. If the test is positive, further action may be taken, like a follow-up interview or more testing. If it’s negative, the process ends here. 

Keep in mind that different types of tests might have slightly different steps, especially if you’re dealing with something like a breathalyzer, which gives instant results.

Final Thoughts

There’s no foolproof way to screen for drugs and alcohol. While hair and urine testing can give you a good idea about what has happened over the last few months, they cannot be used when suspicions are raised about current inebriation. Conversely, blood and saliva tests are excellent at determining whether a person has ingested substances within 24 hours, but they do little to answer questions about long-term usage.

Accurate and comprehensive drug screening is often a vital aspect of the hiring process, which is where ScoutLogic comes into play. Not only do we provide the most in-depth analysis of world-be employees available, but we can also deliver accurate employment drug testing verified by Medical Review Officers (MRO). Our services are fast, meticulous, and trustworthy, leaving you without any question that you’ve made the right choice.

David Garcia

David Garcia, co-founder and CEO of Scout Logic, is an industry leader in the bulk background check world. With his strategic acumen and expertise in the HR sphere, specifically in hiring, recruiting, legal compliance, background checks, and resume screening, he’s an invaluable asset and consultant.

David's counsel extends across the boards of ScoutLogic, YipitData, and Supplier.io, drawing from his impactful stints on the boards of Infutor and Avetta. With an extensive 25-year journey, he champions unparalleled B2B commercial leadership within data & analytics, significantly shaping the HR landscape.