Advancements in drug testing
In recent years, all types of drug testing have become more common and drug testing is often in the media spotlight. It was relatively recently that the only form of drug testing that was regularly in the news was that of testing in sports, and specifically when a famous athlete or star player tested positive and was forced out of the game. Today we see drug testing continue in sports and athletics, but it is also becoming more common in business, schools, the military, retail, and on the streets.
To assist the ever-increasing demand for drug testing, new technologies are being produced to make drug testing faster and more efficient. Gone are the days when a hair follicle and urine sample would have to be sent off to a laboratory for testing. Today, drug tests can be carried out on site by trained staff and the results obtained in a matter of minutes.
Common types of drug test
The two most common drug tests, carried out in both sports and business, are urine tests and hair follicle tests. These two tests will detect whether any of the most common substances have been taken.
Hair follicle tests can detect if drugs have been used during the last 30 to 90 days. This method can be used by any organisation that has a zero-tolerance approach to drug abuse. Most people who take illegal or performance enhancing drugs will not abstain for as long as three months, so hair follicle tests will detect most cases of drug abuse.
A hair follicle test, however, cannot prove exactly when a drug was taken, although test results are used in criminal courts.
The only way to determine if drugs have been used at a specific time is to test immediately after the event in question. For this, urine testing is used. Urine tests can detect the presence of drugs in the system over a few days, although cannabis can remain in the system for several weeks and still be detected.
Drug testing is not restricted to humans
Doping is suspected in horse racing and farming and because of this new tests have been developed by Queen’s University Belfast and the Irish Equine Centre, in order to tackle the problem. In January 2014, scientists developed a new drug test that detects the presence of drugs by analysing the known biological effects of a banned substance, rather than the presence of the substance itself. The tests detect growth hormones and banned antibiotics that are used in farming to improve the yield of livestock as well as to improve performance in sports.
These new techniques could one day be applied to humans to provide a new range of drug testing methods that are impossible to mask.
Point-of-collection (on-site) drug testing devices
One of the most important developments in recent years has been that of new point-of-collection (on-site) drug testing devices.
In addition to hair and urine testing, it is now easier to take saliva and sweat samples for testing. Saliva test technology is fast developing. It has several advantages over hair and urine tests, as such testing is very quick and non-invasive. It can detect the presence of drugs taken in the previous hour up to approximately 36 hours, and it is starting to be used to detect drug abuse by drivers. In January 2014, British police were granted power to use new drugalysers to test the saliva of motorists.
Point-of-collection testing is making drug testing more accessible for businesses and organisations that traditionally would not wish to involve third parties in the testing of their staff or members.