Drug Testing Centers Sacramento CA

Drug addiction destroys lives and wrecks families. Drug testing is the single best way of assuring that the ones you love are not abusing dangerous drugs. Being able to stop drug abuse before it turns into a dangerous addiction is the best defense against drug abuse. This is where drug testing centers can offer a useful service.

This article provides valuable consumer information and includes descriptions of the types of drug testing available through most privately owned and operated drug testing centers.

Drug Testing Centers – Standard and Expansive Screening

Most drug testing centers offer a basic screening test for drugs such as marijuana, methamphetamines, opium, codeine, morphine, cocaine, crack, and phencyclidine (PCP). Should the drug-testing center offer a more comprehensive screening, it is recommended that you also test for barbiturates, benzodiazepines (Valium/Xanax), methadone and MDMA (Ecstasy).

Drug Testing For Substance Abuse – Common Drug Tests

Drug testing for substance abuse is a scientific analysis whereby a biological sample is taken from the subject’s urine, hair, blood, or saliva. There are multiple types of drug detection tests that are commonly used by drug testing centers. While the traditional blood test is still considered the most direct and reliable means of drug detection, it is also the most expensive and intrusive means of testing and therefore is rarely used for non-emergency drug testing situations.

Urine Tests

Urine drug screening is the most common and least expensive drug test and is approved and mandated by the federal government. Urine tests are not only accurate; samples are relatively quick and easy to collect and can detect drugs for up to one-week post drug use.

Saliva Testing

Testing of saliva on the other hand is neither mandated nor approved by the Federal Drug Administration and therefore is not often used by most drug testing centers. Saliva is slightly more expensive then urine testing and is less intrusive. The test however only has an accuracy range of up to two days from the date the drug was taken. Despite the growing popularity of saliva tests, there are still no national standards regulating it.

Hair Follicle

Hair follicle testing has become a common and accepted means of drug detection. Unlike urine, hair detection covers a longer time period and can detect the presence of drugs for up to 90 days after use. If the subject does not have head hair, body hair can be used for the same testing purpose.

Finally, it is important to mention the issue of drug test sensitivity. Most state mental health and drug abuse treatment organizations provide guidelines and minimum standards for what qualifies as a “positive” drug test. If the test result falls below state or federal guidelines, the result will usually not qualify as a "positive" test either for use by the drug-testing center or for purposes of drug law enforcement.

Drug Testing Centers Different From Home Tests

While home drug testing kits can be a fast and convenient option for people to test for the presence of drugs, there are important limitations to this type of testing that should be considered. Although drug-testing kits can detect if drugs are present to a reasonable certainty, it does not provide accurate quantitative measurement.

Conversely, drug-testing centers employ the use of full laboratory testing systems which provides the center with not only exact quantitative measurements of drug use but can be also helpful in formulating a drug addiction recovery plan for the individual. However, for periodic drug test monitoring purposes for which quantitative analysis of drug presence is not of concern, then home drug testing kits can be highly advantageous.

For more information on drug testing, drug rehab and alcohol addiction rehabilitation and the legal and criminal implications of drug abuse go to GotTrouble.com.