Did you know the Surgeon General reported that over $700 billion is put into the economy every year in order to help individuals who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse?
Not only does drug and alcohol abuse cost our nation a lot of money, but it can also negatively impact people, too. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 23.5 million people over the age of 12 required treatment for illicit drugs and alcohol abuse last year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also found that ER visits related to drug abuse doubled from 2004 to 2009 to over 4.6 million incidents. And in 2012, there were 33,175 unintentional deaths caused by drug overdose.
Using drugs or consuming copious amounts of alcohol can lead to lasting, negative health effects and behavioral issues. People who abuse drugs and/or alcohol may experience any of the following side effects:
- Unintentional injuries
- Weakened immune systems
- Cardiovascular issues
- Liver damage or failure
- Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
- Seizures
- Strokes
- Brain damage
- Mental confusion
- Increased body temperature
- Breast development in men
- Impaired judgment
- Birth defects
- Aggressiveness
- Paranoia
- Domestic violence
These adverse side effects can be difficult for parents, teachers, friends, and employers of the abuser to handle, as it’s extremely difficult to watch people they care about hurting themselves or putting others at risk. Identifying these individuals and knowing what drugs they may be abusing can be a great way to determine what kind of assistance they need. One way to identify individuals who may be struggling with a drug and/or alcohol problem is to have them use a drug testing kit.
What are Home Drug Tests?
Home drug testing kits evaluate biological samples to determine if a person has been using a specific drug. These drug test kits are typically used by employers seeking to hire new employees or to ensure their current employees are not using drugs on the job. This is especially helpful for companies in the transportation, airline, railway, or other industries where public safety is key. Other people who may need these types of drug testing kits include professional (or college) athletes, accident victims, or parents wanting to protect their children and get them the immediate help they need to overcome an addiction.
Home drug test kits can identify a number of different drugs, including marijuana, methadone, propoxyphene, opiates, cocaine, methamphetamines, amphetamines, PCP, ecstasy, oxycodone, barbiturates, benzodiazepine, buprenorphine, nicotine, and alcohol. Depending on the drug and the frequency of use, these home drug testing kits can identify drug usage up to several hours after consumption, and sometimes even several days or months later.
Which Types of Home Drug Test Kits Are Available?
Consumers are often curious to know what kind of drug test kits are at their disposable. Typically, drug tests performed at a doctor’s office test a person’s urine, saliva, hair, blood, or sweat. Home drug testing kits, however, are only capable of testing a person’s urine, saliva, or hair. The drug test kit used in each circumstance depends on a number of factors, such as how quickly a person needs the results, the type of drug the person has used, the amount of privacy preferred when taking the test, and whether or not the person administering the test wants to know the frequency of use.
Let’s take a look at several different types of home drug testing kits to gain a better understanding of how they work and when they would be advantageous to use.
Urine tests are used frequently and have the quickest detection time. Within 5 minutes, it’s possible to know if a person has been using a number of different drugs. The drug test kit itself contains two parts: a control and the actual test. The control will cause a line to appear to show that the test is functioning properly and the results can be trusted. The test contains a principle of the drug competitors. If the drug is present in the person’s urine, then the drug will prevent a second line from appearing. Otherwise, the person’s natural antibodies will work against the drug and a line will appear. The drug testing should be administered within 3 to 4 days after the drug has entered the system for best results. It is possible to test for one particular drug or up to 12 different drugs at the same time, depending on the need. These drug test kits can be purchased in packs in order to identify a number of drugs within the same sample.
Saliva tests also can be performed on site. This kind of drug testing kit is sometimes preferred over the urine test, because it doesn’t need to be performed in private. The collection process can be observed in order to make it difficult to alter the results, which will be shown in as soon as 5 minutes or as long as 25 minutes depending on the drug being identified. Some of the most common drugs tested for using this process include amphetamines, cocaine, methamphetamines, opiates, marijuana, phencydidine, and alcohol. Parents, high school counselors, coaches, and employers often take advantage of the saliva drug test because of its simplicity. Additionally, not only can they administer the test using an individual’s saliva, but they can also put the test into a liquid to determine if an individual is concealing alcohol in a particular beverage.
Follicle tests are the final drug testing kit that can be administered at home. These require a small sample hair sample, cut as close to the scalp as possible. Then, the sample is sent to a CLIA certified laboratory. These tests are more sensitive than the other types because they have a lower detection level, which results in a zero-tolerance test. On top of telling whether or not a person uses a drug, the test will also reveal how frequently the drug is used. The results of this home drug testing kit will reveal if the person has a low, medium, or high frequency of use. The only drug that the hair follicle drug test struggles to detect is marijuana. To test for marijuana, it’s usually best to choose a urine sample instead.
Good Home Drug Test Kits: What Qualities Do They Have?
A false positive or false negative from any drug testing kit is one’s greatest fear. It becomes uncomfortable for an employer to falsely accuse an employee of taking drugs while on the job; therefore, the accuracy of a drug test kit is critical. On the other hand, the employer doesn’t want to naively hire someone who abuses drugs, which could end up becoming a dangerous liability in certain lines of work. For this reason, it’s imperative to ensure the most accurate test results possible. Some of the most important qualities to look for in home drug testing kit are:
- FDA approval
- Quick results
- Accurate and trusted results
- Discretion and privacy
There are two options for purchasing home drug testing kits. On one hand, they can be purchased from local drug stores, such as CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart. However, they can also be purchased from online retailers. Considering the pros and cons of purchasing them from each can help people determine the right option to choose.
Purchasing a Drug Testing Kit from a Drugstore: The Pros and Cons
Purchasing a drug testing kit from a drugstore is convenient, right? Anyone can walk right into a store and compare a testing box to other available options. It is often helpful to see the tests and read the provided instructions before deciding to make an educated purchase. However, consumers often notice that the price is steep. The average drugstore home drug testing kit will cost somewhere between $30 and $40. Although the higher cost is due to the fact that lab testing is included, most consumers do not bother to take advantage of these services unless they want to rule out a false positive, resulting in wasted money.
Another issue many consumers face when purchasing home drug test kits from a drugstore is the lack of privacy. Parents looking to test their children to make sure that they haven’t used drugs may experience embarrassment or shame when their next door neighbor or a church member gets behind them in line to make a purchase at their local store. If they want to protect their privacy, making the purchase in person isn’t advisable. With this in mind, the level of convenience may not outweigh the need for privacy.
Purchasing a Drug Testing Kit from an Online Retailer: The Pros and Cons
Online retailers tend to provide a greater selection when it comes to home drug testing kits. Inventory space is not as much of an issue, so they can offer a wider variety of options to consumers than CVS or Walmart. Purchasing online also allows for a greater level of privacy and discretion. Most companies ship the drug testing kits in regular envelopes or boxes, so others are unable to know the contents of the box without opening it. Consumers don’t have to worry about what their neighbors might say if they see the box on their doorstep, and employers don’t have to worry about tipping off their employees before getting a chance to administer a random drug test. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Purchasing home drug test kits from online suppliers can also help save a lot of money. Although drugstores offer the same products from the same manufacturers, online retailers are able to sell them at a fraction of the cost. For instance, the CVS drug testing kit which sells for over $30 in the store, might sell for less than $10 online. Choosing to buy the drug test kits online can be a great way to save some money while still getting high quality products for accurate and convenient drug testing.
Luckily, convenience is not relegated just to drugstore purchases. Another benefit to shopping online is the high level of convenience which a consumer experiences. More and more consumers are turning to the Internet for all of their shopping needs. They can purchase clothing, food, household goods, and everything in between online and have it shipped right to their doorstep – often at little or no cost.
Home drug test kits purchased from online retailers can provide a simple, accurate, and convenient way to quickly determine if an individual is using drugs or alcohol. Whether the drug testing kit is administered by a coach, family member, employer, administrator, or other individual, they can determine if the individual in question has been using and abusing drugs or alcohol and determine the appropriate next step. Will the individual be fired for failing to follow the rules and regulations of employment? Will the individual be disqualified from competing in certain athletic competitions? Will the child be admitted into a program where he or she can get much-needed assistance to overcome their addiction and get a fresh start?
Online retailers are the answer when it comes to purchasing reliable home drug testing kits which can provide the necessary answers individuals need to determine if drug or alcohol abuse is occurring. They ensure accurate results and that the individual abusing drugs or alcohol can begin receiving the assistance, treatment, or therapy needed to stop using and make the major life changes necessary to ensure his or her safety, health, and happiness.
