An easy drug testing method is necessary to improve workplace safety and get instant results. Workplaces are now adhering to onsite mouth swab drug tests to detect workplace drug uses that depletes productivity and efficiency. The spot test method enables direct checking by reducing the possibility of fraudulence.
With little preparation and less time frame, workplaces can easily carry out a swab drug test to verify the physical stability of the employee anytime the employer wants. But, before that, you should have a proper understanding of the swab test and the little preparation you need to do to make the place drug-free.
What is a swab drug test?
Though the word sounds a little confusing, a Swab Test is a common saliva test. Using a swab, saliva will be collected from the mouth, and it will be tested on the spot, and the result can be obtained in just a few minutes.
Unlike a urine test and a blood test, a swab drug test traces the recent drug use in employees. The parent drug shows a higher percentage of presence in oral fluids compared to urine and blood. But drug content doesn’t last in oral fluids for a long time. So swab tests won’t be ideal if you want to know whether an employee is a frequent drug addict. The drug gets easily erased from saliva within a short time frame.
Then, where and when can you find it more appropriate?
Well, convenience and cost-effectiveness are crucial factors that make a swab drug test prescribed choice. You can easily do a swab drug test on an accident spot. Let it be men or women, you don’t need to allocate separate rooms or preparations for a mouth swab drug test.
When it is about random drug testing, a swab test is a perfect choice. If you are hiring employees, a pre-employment drug test confirms that the candidates are fit to be enrolled for work. The test helps to trace the presence of drugs like:
- Cocaine
- Opiates
- Marijuana
- Methamphetamine
- Amphetamine
Collecting samples is easy when it comes to a swab test. If the collector needs an additional sample, he/she can get it easily without waiting for a long time. In a urine test or a blood test, the case is different. The collector needs to wait a long time if he/she needs additional samples.
To produce an effective result, the people to be tested should not eat or drink anything at least 10 minutes before the time of testing. Contaminants on saliva reduce the effectiveness of the result.
What tampers oral drug test results?
A mouth swab drug test is an effective method to test the traces of harmful drug use. But there are certain factors you need to take into consideration to ensure that the result is effective:
- Make sure that the person doesn’t have a dry mouth
- The collector should be specially trained. Otherwise, samples may get contaminated
- The saliva test can vary in individuals. The traces of drugs may not last in saliva for a long time. 5-48 hours is the normal time frame to detect recent drug use.
- Swab tests cannot identify metabolized drugs. Moreover, according to the nature and chemical properties of the drugs, there are effective time periods for each drug to be tested. Some drugs last for 2-3 days in saliva, but drugs like cocaine will not last for more than 24 hours.
Since a mouth swab drug test is based on spot sample collection, it is difficult to tamper or cheat the result. But there are so many mouthwash manufacturers and related products in the market that claim to help people completely erase drug traces from the mouth.
But, there are no such products that help to get rid of drug traces. The drug traces in oral fluids cannot be altered through such market remedies. Believing in such hearsay, now people are confident to pass a drug test. Resultantly, drug use rates have increased among the youths.
Imbibing drug test policies are necessary for every workplace to confirm safety and productivity. A pre-employment drug test and post-accident drug test are necessary to ensure the physical fitness and efficiency of employees. Workers with a drug-addictive background can pose threat to other employees. Hence, there is an ardent need to include an effective drug testing policy in every workplace to build a drug-free workplace for the betterment of society.
It is not possible for workplaces to conduct frequent urine or blood tests as it is time-consuming and expensive. In such cases, a mouth swab drug test can come as an effective hack that helps employers to conduct a primary drug test readily on the spot.
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Our services are available at multiple locations, and we offer 24/7 assistance from an expert and certified collector. To know more, reach out to us. Let’s lay the first step towards safety and productivity.