Have an Alcohol Test Coming Up? Here’s What You Should Do
The vast majority of American adults drink alcohol to some extent.
Most of the time, drinking is an enjoyable way to unwind or have fun with friends. However, many workplaces now require their employees to abstain from alcohol consumption by carrying out tests.
If you work for such a firm and you’re afraid you might fail an upcoming alcohol test, there are certain steps you can take that might help you stay out of trouble.
Read on as we take a closer look at everything you need to know.
Is Alcohol Included in a Drug Test?
Because alcohol is legal, many employers don’t test for it. While they might be concerned about the effects illicit drugs would have on employee performance, they have no legal right to insist that an employee can’t drink on their time off.
However, some employers test to make sure that workers aren’t under the influence of alcohol while at work. This is more common in jobs that start early in the morning, or those that require workers to drive vehicles or operate heavy machinery.
What Other Substances Might My Employer Test For?
If you are on prescription medications, you might be worried that these would show up on a drug test. Adderall, for example, can appear as an amphetamine on drug tests.
If you have a suitable prescription for the drug you’re taking, there should be no issue. If you’re taking it off-label, however, it might be a good idea to stop taking the medication in enough time to pass any test.
How to Prepare for an Alcohol Test
Alcohol tests are sophisticated, so there is no easy way to pass one. If there’s alcohol in your system, the test will find it.
With that in mind, you’ll simply have to abstain from alcohol for a given period before your test. The length of this period will vary depending on the type of test you have to sit.
A breath test will detect alcohol you’ve consumed in the previous 12 hours. Unless you drank very heavily, it should not show any alcohol you drank more than 24 hours previously. Saliva tests can show positive results if you’ve been drinking 2-3 days beforehand.
Because hair tests can detect alcohol consumption weeks after drinking, they are not commonly used for testing.
Using Test Kits at Home
If you must regularly complete drug tests at work, it might be an idea to start testing yourself at home. This will reduce the anxiety associated with the real thing, and also give you an idea of exactly how long before a test you need to stop drinking.
You can order an online test with us with little difficulty.
Making Sure You Pass Your Test
An alcohol test might be a daunting prospect if you drink regularly. However, if you know how long to stop drinking before the test, you’ll have nothing to worry about.
To learn more about our testing services, or to place an order, contact us today.
