Frequently Asked Questions
If you've got questions, we've got answers!
The following chart from LabCorp gives approximate detection periods for each substance by test type.¹
The detection windows depend upon multiple factors: drug class, amount and frequency of use, metabolic rate, body mass, age, overall health and urine pH. For ease of use, the detection times of metabolites have been incorporated into each parent drug. For example, heroin and cocaine can only be detected for a few hours after use, but their metabolites can be detected for several days in urine. In this type of situation, we will report the (longer) detection times of the metabolites.
- NOTE 1: Oral fluid or saliva testing results for the most part mimic that of blood. The only exceptions are THC and benzodiazepines. Oral fluid will likely detect THC from ingestion up to a maximum period of 18–24 hours. Low saliva:plasma ratio continues to cause difficulty in oral fluid detection of benzodiazepines²
- NOTE 2: Urine cannot detect current drug use. It takes approximately 6–8 hours or more post-consumption for drug to be metabolized and excreted in urine. Similarly, hair requires two weeks, and sweat, seven days.
| Substance | Urine | Hair | Blood/Oral Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | 6–24 hours 3 | up to 90 days | 12–24 hours |
| Amphetamines (except meth) | 1 to 3 days 4 | up to 90 days | 12 hours |
| Methamphetamine | 3 to 5 days 5 | up to 90 days | 1–3 days 5 |
| MDMA (Ecstasy) | 24 hrs | up to 90 days | 25 hours |
| Barbiturates (except phenobarbital) | 1 day | up to 90 days | 1 to 2 days |
| Phenobarbital | 2 to 3 months 5 | up to 90 days | 4 to 7 days |
| Benzodiazepines | Therapeutic use: up to 7 days. Chronic use (over one year): 4 to 6 weeks |
up to 90 days | 6 to 48 hours |
| Cannabis | 3 to 5 days, and sometimes up to 30 days 7 | up to 90 days 7 | Up to 24 hours 8 |
| Cocaine | 2 to 5 days with exceptions for certain kidney disorders 9 | up to 90 days | 2 to 5 days 10 |
| Codeine | 2 to 3 days 11 | up to 90 days | 2 to 3 days 11 |
| Cotinine (a break-down product of nicotine) | 2 to 4 days | up to 90 days | 2 to 4 days |
| Morphine | 2 days | up to 90 days | 1-2 days |
| Heroin | 3 to 4 days 12 | up to 90 days | 1-2 days |
| LSD | 24 to 72 hours (however tests for LSD are very uncommon) | up to 3 days | 0 to 3 hours |
| Methadone | 3 days | up to 97 days | 24 hours |
| PCP | 3 to 7 days for single use; up to 30 days in chronic users 13 | up to 90 days | 1 to 3 days 13 |
Drug tests in the United States can be divided into two general groups, federal mandated and general workplace.
While SAMHSA/NIDA guidelines only allow laboratories to report quantitative results for the “NIDA-5” on their official NIDA tests, many drug testing laboratories and on-site tests now offer a wider or “more appropriate” set of drug screens which may be more reflective of current drug use patterns. As noted above, these tests include synthetic pain killers such as Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Oxymorphone, Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Hydromorphone; benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, Restoril) and barbiturates.
Other drugs, such as meperidine (Demerol), fentanyl, propoxyphene, and methadone are not commonly tested for in most pre-employment situations, however, are being increasing included in random testing.
A confirmation test (usually GC/MS, or LC/MS/MS) can tell the difference between chemically similar drugs such as methamphetamine and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy).
There are several benefits to using mobile live scan. The advantages of using this service are:
- No messy ink
- Convenient locations
- Competitive pricing
- Live scan and fingerprint capture devise
Electronic Fingerprinting is there whenever you need us. Because we are a mobile service, we can come to you to make it more convenient.
We offer the following fingerprinting services:
- Adult fingerprinting: this is ideal for general businesses – including Casinos and Banks, Licenses, Immigrations, Notaries, and schools.
- IDS for Kids: to help with awareness to your children, we offer the service to them as well.
- Services and Equipment: at Accutest, we offer mobile live scan fingerprinting, Experienced and professional agents and online appointment setting. We use the latest technology and offer results with 48 hours of the test.
For more information call us today at (313) 432-0194 or click here to use our convenient contact form.
Employers use drug testing as part of the hiring process. Insurances also do drug testing during the process of writing a policy such as life insurance. Athletic departments may also use the testing to ensure the person is eligible to play sports.
A drug test is commonly a technical examination of urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid samples to determine the presence of absence of specified drugs or their metabolized traces.
The element of surprise, when combined with proper procedure, eliminates most deception possibilities with the urine-based kits. Temperature strips on collection cups help ensure fresh samples. A clear cup design makes it easy to spot irregular substances. Adulteration strips are used to detect foreign substances commonly used to tamper with specimens.
We encourage parents to talk to their kids, explain their concerns, establish rules and communicate the means by which the rules will be enforced (i.e. testing). It simply establishes the means by which trust is earned and maintained.
It should go without saying that any “damage” to a parent/child relationship brought on by merely discussing substance abuse testing programs, would be by comparison, a tiny fraction of the damage and destruction likely to be caused by actual substance abuse.
Duration times vary according to an individual’s metabolism, physical condition, frequency of usage, and hydration. However, for the average person, the following durations are considered reasonable. The “rule of thumb” for most drugs available on the street is 2-3 days. Marijuana can be detected for 8-12 days in a moderate user (3 times per week) and 21-30 days in a daily user. Testing for usage of alcohol and/or tobacco should be done as soon as possible. The window of detection for marijuana is limited to 12 hours using saliva-based test kits, so testing should usually take place on Saturday or Sunday mornings.
The biggest advantage of our hair testing services is that it can detect drug use during the previous 2-3 months. This is a very helpful option for parents who highly suspect their child has been using and want the peace of mind of knowing that months rather than days or weeks have gone by since drugs were last used ( if ever). The advantages of saliva and urine based tests become most apparent after a child has tested positive and has promised to quit using. Negative results on the saliva and urine based tests prove the absence of recent drug use (days and weeks) so children who claim to have quit using can actually prove that they have.
We recommend that teens be tested at least once a month. That is why our program is set up to send parents multiple kits. To avoid becoming predictable and to help eliminate teen temptations to indulge between tests, we encourage parents to “mix it up” when it comes to picking the specific dates to administer their tests.