There are several types of drug testing kits available around the world. The most common include urine, saliva, and blood, generally all are available in four-to 12-panel kits. Also available are hair follicle kits and adulterant tests, which will test a urine specimen for validity. Some ways of attempting to bypass a urine test include pills, drinks, and even bleach, and a adulterant test will usually be able to detect these.
Urine drug testing kits are typically the most favored because of their accuracy and relative ease of use. Using an adulterant test in conjunction with the urine kit may increase its accuracy, and readings are generally very fast. This avoids the need to send the sample out to a lab, and these types of tests can typically detect up to 10 different kinds of popular drugs. These types of drug testing kits can be used at home, for work related drug tests, and even for those enrolled in drug rehabilitation courses.
Saliva drug testing kits are also commonly used at home or for quick results. There is generally no need to buy adulterant tests, as this method of drug screening is usually very hard to manipulate. These tests are best for detecting drug use in the last one to three days. After this time, the accuracy of these tests may be unreliable.
Blood drug testing kits are more common when there is a need to test if a person is currently under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Some situations which may merit a blood test are roadside sobriety tests, accidents, or even random workplace testing. Blood tests will generally only read positive for up to 12 hours after drug use, so they are not suitable for testing drug history.
A more in-depth test may be performed with hair follicle drug testing kits. These tests have shown to detect drug usage up to 90 after the fact, and the hair can be taken from anywhere on the body. Hair follicle tests are usually far more difficult to manipulate than any other type, but are not as common as the other types of testing. This is because a hair follicle test normally needs to be sent to an outside lab for analysis, and it can take several days for the results to come back. In the United States, however, a percentage of employers are using hair testing on potential employees, and in the United Kingdom, these tests are admissible and have been used in court.
While more and more accurate drug testing kits become available each year, there is a margin for error. Some prescription drugs may cause a person to fail a drug test, so it is usually recommended the he have his prescription ready to hand over at the time of testing. Common myths about drinking concoctions such as bleach and peroxide to prevent positive results may have very serious effects on a person's health and are unlikely to work.
