Drugs and alcohol are two divergent but related substances that can influence and impair an individual’s physical and mental abilities. The fact of the matter is, both substances cause heavy concern for modern workplaces. These concerns regarding substance abuse are the reason why drug-free workplace programs exist. Employers customarily create a drug-testing program unique to their company to fit personal goals and industry requirements.
This flexible nature of workplace drug screening yields further questions. One such question is: does alcohol show up on a drug test? Long story short, it truly depends. For better comprehension, let’s examine the diverse testing panel options utilized for standard screenings.
How Employers Can Test for Alcohol Consumption
Does alcohol show up on a drug test? In a nutshell, yes. Yet, the answer banks entirely on the chosen test and reason for the screening. Not every drug test out there can detect alcohol and provide an instant report. Typically, standard 5-panel urine-based drug screenings do not test the participant for recent alcohol consumption.
That being said, employers can easily choose to add an alcohol screening panel or a supplementary saliva or breath test. Any company that screens job prospects or current employees for alcohol consumption as part of their workplace program should outline this information within its handbook. Selecting a type of test that analyzes for both drugs and alcohol intake is an ideal, better-safe-than-sorry practice.
Types of Alcohol Testing Kits
Within the wide world of drug testing, there are four different categories for alcohol screening tests. Each device functions diversely to achieve similar reporting results on substance use. These categories are urine alcohol tests, saliva alcohol tests, hair follicle tests, and blood alcohol tests. Urine-based tests are suitable, readily-available methods, while saliva tests are idyllic for immediate needs and are less likely to be altered.
Turn to American Screening corp to meet your testing needs and service requirements. We supply a wide array of high-quality screening products, including an alcohol testing kit. Our selection includes urine-based cups or saliva tests for detection time over 24 hours. For simple, rapid, and superiorly accurate results, choose one of our Precision screening device options. Browse our current inventory today, and feel free to contact us with any questions.
