What is Home Drug Testing?

Drug testing is quite common in modern society. More than 50 percent of employers in the United States drug screen job applicants and employees, and the practice is spreading to other countries. Government agencies and schools also conduct drug testing. There are thousands of companies that specialize in drug testing procedures and management, but there also is a market for home drug testing products. Basically, home drug testing is screening that is conducted in the privacy of one’s home, and there are many types and reasons for it.

The most common type of home drug test is a urine test. Urine tests come in several forms, such as urine collecting cups and potenz hydrogen (pH) strips. Five-panel urine tests typically screen for tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana; cocaine; opiates; amphetamines and methamphetamines; and phencyclidine (PCP). Ten-panel urine tests screen for the same five drugs as the five-panel test, as well as barbiturates, methadone, benzodiazepines, propoxyphene and methaqualone. More expensive versions also measure the temperature of the urine to ensure that it is current.

Other types of home drug testing kits use saliva or blood, and the users can see the results instantly. Some people purchase tests that require mailing the samples into an actual drug lab. These tests might use hair or blood samples as well. The benefit of the home-conducted mail-in test is that the sample is fresh. There also are specialized tests that measure for steroids, nicotine, alcohol and the drug ecstasy, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine.

There typically are two main types of home drug testing kit customers. The first type includes people who are fearful that they will fail a drug test because they consumed illegal or prohibited drugs. They use a home drug testing kits before taking an official drug test at a lab or office to see whether they will be able to pass the official version. The consequences of a failed drug screening are very serious, no matter the person’s background or situation. If illegal substances appear on the test, a person could go to jail, get fired, lose a scholarship or be expelled from school.

The second main type of home drug testing products typically includes people who suspect that a family member or loved one is doing illegal drugs. For example, the parents of a teenage boy who has been acting erratically or failing his classes might suspect that he is using drugs or alcohol. Home drug testing allows the parents to get an on-the-spot sample and conduct the test before the drug can leave the teenager’s system.