Urine Drug Testing

Urine drug testing or urinalysis, is by far the most common type of drug screening test on the market, and cheaper than its four counterparts; hair, blood, saliva, and perspiration (patch) analysis.

Urinalysis is still considered an invasive form of testing, although not as much as a blood test, but more so than a saliva test. What then, are the benefits?

Of the five types of drug tests, urine drug testing is the least expensive method. Tests usually range from the five to fifty dollar range for home tests, although laboratory tests are typically more, due to shipping costs, etc. This is much less than a hair test, which typically runs from one hundred to one hundred fifty dollars, or a blood test, which can be as much as several hundred dollars. Although considered invasive, home urinalysis removes some of the embarrassment of a lab urinalysis (remember, we are dealing with teenagers here. Their egos bruise easily), and can be administered by the parents of the child in question. It will however, need a lab verification to be considered a legal test.

Urine drug testing will typically give results for the past week, although if the subject has been using drugs regularly, it will go back even further. However, if the subject abstains from using drugs for a week or two, or uses a home drug test beating kit, the results can show a false negative. When tested commercially, urine samples are oftentimes tested for temperature, to be certain that the urine is at body temperature, and has not come from another person in an attempt to beat the test.

Urine drug testing works by targeting body toxins; in this case the breakdowns of illegal drugs. Toxins are stored in the fat cells of the body, so in order to release these toxins into the bloodstream, those fat cells must be burned. Once in the blood, the toxins are filtered from the subject’s blood by the kidneys, and sent to the bladder.

Now that you know how urinalysis works, here’s something else to consider; secondhand smoke from marijuana and crack cocaine can be absorbed into your lungs, hair, and bloodstream, so don't even associate with other people who are using drugs. It can still be absorbed into your system and produce a positive test result. You could theoretically fail both a primary and secondary test - because the smoke will also be absorbed into your hair - for something you genuinely did not do, with no recourse other than saying that it was someone else. That won’t fly and it's just not worth the risk.

Whether you are the one testing or being tested, urine drug testing has become a commonplace part of many jobs, and chances are, you may indeed find yourself in a profession that requires it, so stay clean and stay happily employed. You will thank yourself in the long run, both for having a job and for being clean and drug free. Those who have been there and done that will tell you; it simply is not worth it.