What Types of Drug Tests Are There?
Urine Screen: The most common way to test for drugs is a urine test. This involves giving a urine sample, which goes through a series of chemical tests. The results tell whether or not leftover traces of drugs are in your body. A urine test does not tell if you are under the influence of drugs at the time of the test. It only reveals that alcohol or drugs were used sometime in the recent past. Blood Test: A blood test measures the actual amount of alcohol or other drugs in your blood at the time of the test. Alternative Specimen Tests: Alternative specimens and technologies for the detection of the use of selected drugs of abuse, include hair, oral fluids, sweat, and point of collection initial test devices (for urine and oral fluids at this time). They have been under formal, ongoing evaluation by the SAMHSA-chartered Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB) since April 1997. As the result of collaboration among industry-led working groups, federal staff for the National Laboratory Certific
