Hair Tests for Alcohol
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Do hair tests for alcohol exist? If so, are they reliable and can they detect alcohol consumption?
An Examination of a Person's Hair Can Detect Drug Use for 90 Days
An analysis of a person's hair can result in a significantly longer
testing window for the detection of drugs and drug metabolites. This provides a more complete drug-use history that can go back
in time as far as 90 days.
Similar to urine testing, hair testing does not reveal evidence of current impairment, only past use of a specific drug.
And of special note, hair testing cannot be used to detect alcohol.
Hair Drug Tests have the following characteristics:
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They are currently many times more costly than urine tests.
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They are a relatively non-intrusive method of drug testing.
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They detect substance use over a longer period of time.
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They do not usually detect drug use within the past seven days.
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They require a sample of hair approximately the diameter of a pencil and about 1.5 inches long.
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They cannot be done with a single hair.
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They reveal positive test results more than twice as often as urine tests.
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They are not significantly affected by brief periods of abstinence from drugs.
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They can sometimes be used to determine when drug use started and if it has been discontinued.
Can hair testing be defeated or beaten? No adulterants have been found that can beat hair tests for drugs. Plus, the risk is minimized
due to the fact that every collection is directly and easily observed.
Some Benefits and Advantages of Hair Tests for Drug Screening
Hair Tests Pros
- They have a longer window of detection.
- They offer greater stability (i.e, they do not deteriorate).
- They can detect chronic drug use.
- They provide convenient shipping and storage, since they do not require refrigeration.
- They off a collection procedure that is not invasive or embarrassing.
- They are more difficult to adulterate than urine.
- They detect the combined use of alcohol AND cocaine.
- They can provide a 3-month drug usage history.
During the third stage of alcohol dependency, the drinker starts to experience serious relationship, work-related,
and financial problems. Additionally, he or she starts to avoid friends and family and experiences a loss of interest in things
that used
to be important. |
Hair Tests Cons
- They are relatively expensive.
- They are usually limited to basic 5-drug panel.
- They cannot detect alcohol use.
- They can not detect very recent drug use (i.e., usage from 1 to 7 days before the test).
Each year in the United States, roughly 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage
drinking. This includes about 1,900 deaths from
motor vehicle accidents. |
Hair Tests for Alcohol: Conclusion
While hair tests are reliable and accurate instruments for drug testing, hair tests for alcohol are not used for alcohol screening and testing because they cannot detect alcohol.
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| To make the argument for alcohol abstention and pregnancy even stronger, according to recent studies, women who
continue to drink even small amounts of alcohol while trying to become pregnant, may reduce their chances of conceiving. |
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