Oral Screening: Understanding the Benefits of a Saliva Drug Test
How often do people use drugs at work? More often than you think. According to one survey, 70% of participants admitted to using them while at work.
Given that, it’s not surprising to know that many employers require drug tests as part of their hiring process. For example, it’s not uncommon for them to require urine tests.
Oral screening is also a thing. You can pretty much think of it as a saliva drug test.
Want to know more about how that works? If so, you’re on the right page—because that’s what we’re here to talk about.
Keep reading to learn more about the topic!
What is a Drug Test?
Drug tests allow individuals to detect the use of illicit drugs. How do they work? They involve the testing of a biological specimen such as blood, saliva, or urine.
Depending on the test, it can either detect the parent drug or its metabolites (i.e. the drug’s inactive form). Keep in mind, however, that false positives do happen. If that’s the case, you’ll be told to undergo further testing.
While there are no physical risks, a positive result can affect various aspects of your life such as your job.
When Are Drug Tests Necessary?
There are several reasons why you might need a drug test. For example, it might be required as part of a pre-employment process. Some employers may also perform random drug tests to identify on-the-job drug abuse.
Post-accident drug testing is also common. They allow officials to determine whether or not an accident is due to drug use.
What Are Oral Drug Tests?
Oral drug tests require a saliva sample from a person’s mouth. Quick and simple, the procedure involves swabbing the inside of your cheeks.
More often than not, these tests are capable of detecting drugs that have been used within the past few days.
What Drugs Can They Detect?
Saliva drug tests are capable of detecting various drugs and their metabolites. Some examples include alcohol, barbiturates, cocaine, methadone, marijuana, opiates, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines.
Generally speaking, results will be available within hours. Confirmation testing, however, may take longer.
Benefits of Using a Saliva Drug Test
There are several benefits to using saliva drug tests. First and foremost, the test is much less invasive than other options (e.g. blood tests, urine tests).
The test is also easy to conduct—it does not require clinical personnel. Not to mention that it can be implemented in any setting.
Last but not least, it’s low cost. This makes it an economical choice for those who require drug screening.
Understanding Oral Drug Tests
Hopefully, that gives you a better idea as to how a saliva drug test works. As you can see, there are several reasons why it’s better than other testing methods. For one thing, it’s non-invasive!
Interested in ordering an oral drug test? Feel free to take a look at what we have available!
