colleagues

Most people are aware of drug and
alcohol addiction problems. They do not only cause damage to addicts
but also to those who deal with them on a day-to-day basis, like
family members, colleagues, clients and friends. In many situations,
the workplace for example, it's necessary to ensure that workers are
free from any drug or alcohol addiction problems. Even people with
driving licenses should be regularly checked for such problems as
driving under influence of drugs and alcohol causes thousands of
accidents every year. Consequently drug
and alcohol testing has been made a mandatory requirement by many
organizations including commercial enterprises, schools and colleges
among others. New Zealand has
instituted a very strong and robust system for monitoring pilots for
drug and alcohol abuse.

Alcohol and drug
testing can be done through a variety of methods. These include
the following -

Urine Test

Urine testing for drug and alcohol
abuse is one of the most popular methods as its easy, reliable, and
relatively inexpensive. Once a person has consumed alcohol it shows
in the urine around 1 to 1.5 hours later. A urine test can detect the
same even 48 hrs after consumption. However it should be kept in mind
that although urine testing can determine whether a person has
consumed drugs or alcohol it cannot tell whether he/she is addicted.

Blood Test

Blood test for detecting the content of
alcohol or drugs in a person's body is a highly reliable method.
These substances get absorbed into a person's bloodstream fairly
quickly and reach maximum level within an hour of consumption.
Although like the above test this cannot determine whether a person
is addicted, it can help determine if someone has taken drugs over
the legally permissible limit leading to intoxication. The drawback
of this method is that it's expensive and invasive.

Saliva Test

Just like blood, the presence of drug
or alcohol can be detected in the saliva of a person. In fact this
method of alcohol testing
is preferred over blood test, as alcohol level in saliva is nearly
same as that in blood. Furthermore this method is not invasive and
also costs less compared to blood test.

Breathalyzer Test

Breathalyzer tests are done with the
help of a handheld device that detects the presence of alcohol in a
person's breath. This method is popularly used by law enforcement as
breathalyzers are portable devices which are easy to handle and also
provide immediate results.

Hair Test

Drug
tests on hair samples is gaining popularity nowadays as this
method can detect several drugs, is cost-effective, non-invasive,
fairly accurate, and most importantly it provides a history of
alcohol consumption for several months. This kind of information can
be very helpful for companies who are reviewing the possibility of
hiring a new employee.