If you suspect that someone you know — including a family member — is using drugs, it's not appropriate to simply accuse them without presenting any facts. A good way to get to the truth of the matter is by having the person visit a drug testing center. There are several different tests that are available, including urine tests and blood tests. Another option to consider is hair drug testing, which involves testing hair off the person's head or elsewhere on their body. Hair drug testing is an option that has several benefits, including the following.

Long Detection Window

Different drugs stay in peoples' systems for different lengths of time, and some tests are better than others at detecting the presence of drugs — even weeks after the person used them. Hair testing is highly regarded because it can detect certain drugs up to 90 days after use. The detection window for other test types is shorter. For example, heroin is only detectable in a urine test 48 hours after use. This can make this type of testing less effective unless you suspect that someone has very recently used this drug.

No Discomfort

A lot of people have serious phobias about needles, which makes giving blood a distressing idea. If the person you wish to have tested for drugs has such a phobia, it's not appropriate to arrange a blood test for them. Even though you might feel upset about your suspicions concerning their drug use, you don't want to cause them undue upset by going through a blood test. A hair drug test is a better option because it doesn't lead to any discomfort. A testing technician simply cuts a strand of hair off the person's body, which they won't even feel.

No Embarrassment

One reason that some people don't like urine tests for drugs is that this process isn't discreet. In order for the test to be thorough, the testing technician must watch the person fill a cup with urine. Otherwise, the subject could potentially place a small amount of someone's clean urine from a hidden bottle into the cup. You might not want to order a urine test for the person because you don't want to unnecessarily embarrass them. When you choose a hair test instead, you can be confident that there's nothing embarrassing about this form of testing. Look online to find a hair drug testing service in your area, such as AAVCOR.

Share