Urine Drug Testing
Various employers and organizations use urine drug testing. Because drug addiction is a serious problem, several employers are beginning to administer periodic drug testing. Drug testing is a process that involves analyzing a bodily sample for illegal drugs. Body samples may include saliva, hair, sweat, blood, and urine. Urine drug testing is the most common form of testing. For starters, urine testing is extremely easily. A job applicant simply provides a urine sample in a cup. The sample is sent to a lab for analysis. Within a week, the results are ready. While urine drug testing is common, these tests are not entirely foolproof.
Failing a drug test may have serious consequences. This could mean denial of a life insurance policy or termination from employment. Of course, urine drug testing may be flawed. There have been several cases where the tests were wrong. In fact, there are over-the-counter medications that may result in a failed urine drug test. Urine drug testing screens the body for marijuana, cocaine, PCP, amphetamines, and opiates. However, certain drugs such as Advil, Motrin, and Midol may reflect a false positive for marijuana. Moreover, nasal sprays and Sudafed may show a false positive for amphetamines. Antibiotics may also cause a false positive for cocaine. False positives are generally due to prolong use of over-the-counter and prescription medications. Thus, individuals suffering from a cold or infection should attempt to re-schedule drug testing.
When giving a urine drug test, employers are not required to provide notice. During the interview process, some people purposely stop drug use in order to pass a test. However, random drug testing is beneficial to detect drug use that was previously concealed. Each business has a different policy on drug use. While some companies may terminate an employee, other businesses may allow the employee adequate time to seek help for their drug problem.
Disclaimer: Cliff Schaffer does not personally endorse or support any of the comments made within the writings of this article.
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