Benefits of Oral Drug Tests

Drug abuse has been increasing these days among youth and also employees. In order to eliminate drug addiction, it is necessary to conduct drug tests on them frequently. Various types of drug tests are conducted for detecting illegal drug consumption. These include urine drug tests, hair drug tests, blood drug tests, saliva drug tests and hair drug tests. Urine drug test is the most commonly used method for checking different drugs like marijuana, cocaine, opium and others. However, oral drug tests are preferred to be in use these days due to many advantages.

Oral drug test or saliva test is one of the efficient methods of drug testing. Saliva sample is collected by rubbing a mouth swab between gums and inner cheek tissue. It is to be ensured that no other material is present in mouth while taking sample. Otherwise, it would affect the results of drug testing. Quick and accurate results are obtained from the test. The sample can also be sent for laboratory analysis to get confirmed results. Many benefits are associated with saliva drug tests.

Benefits of Oral Drug Tests:
Here are some of the benefits of oral drug tests.

• Easy Sample Collection: Saliva sample can be collected easily by providing it in a cup or a mouth swab.
• Non-Invasive Method: It is a non-invasive method a sample can be collected easily. No pain or discomfort is seen in the individual unlike blood test. It is also convenient for the donor to provide sample with ease.
• Cost-Effective: Cost of conducting saliva drug test is lesser when compared to hair and blood tests. So many organizations prefer to conduct saliva tests at workplaces.
• Recent Drug Use: Oral drug tests can detect recent drug use of an individual. Other drug tests like blood, urine, and hair tests detect the drug metabolites which appear after certain time period of consumption. Hence, it is beneficial to conduct saliva tests for detecting drug use which is taken recently.
• Accurate Results: Results can be obtained accurately and quickly by oral drug tests.

Due to these advantages, saliva drug test is being used by parents, employers and other organizations.

Consequences of Failing in an Employee Drug Test

Many people are addicted to illegal drugs for various reasons. Dangerous problems arise at workplace due to drug abused employees. So employee drug tests including THC drug testing, cocaine testing, cotinine test and others that are conducted at work places. Urine, saliva, and hair drug tests are conducted on employees. The results of failing in employment drug tests are based on the policies of employers on drug testing and the state laws.

• If an employee is tested positive in employment drug testing, then he or she would be terminated from employment. Especially at jobs related to safety, it is beneficial to eliminate the employee from the organization when tested positive in post-accident or random drug testing.
• Some employers deny such employees from employment and allow them to join after three months. Before joining, drug tests like THC drug test are again conducted on them. Weekly and monthly follow up tests are conducted on such employees to ensure that they are not addicted to drugs again.
• Certain rehabilitation and employment assistance programs (EAP) are also conducted by employers. Cognitive behavioral therapy, medical assistance and others are included in those programs.
• If a job applicant is tested positive in pre-employment drug testing, he or she is rejected from joining the organization.
• Payment for worker's compensation and unemployment or disability benefits are refused by some employers if an employee fails in employment drug testing.

It is necessary for the employers to make sure about all the rules and regulations involved in employment drug testing. Policies regarding disciplinary actions and other rehabilitation programs have to be planned before conducting the tests.

Advantages of Nicotine Test at Workplace

Many studies have been provided by the World Health Organization stating that about 5 million people are dying a year due to cigarette smoking. Even-though many individuals still have been addicted to smoking. It is a common addiction seen among many employees. This results in various problems at workplace that includes loss of productivity and rise of health expenses. To erase these situations, many offices implement ban on smoking. Also some companies conduct nicotine tests at workplace to discourage smoking cigarettes in offices.

Safety:
Smoking is one such problem that effects the addicted person and also those near to them. Thus if one employee is addicted to smoking, the employees working near the premises of him may also be effected badly due to tobacco inhalation. The secondhand smoke includes all the chemicals which are present in cigarettes and its smoke. This may cause respiratory diseases and lung cancer in non-smokers. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. National Toxicology Program, and U.S. General Surgeon it has been identified that secondhand smoke is a cancer-causing agent. So a regular nicotine test must be conducted at work places to protect the health of non-smokers.

Organizational efficiency:
Some employees do have the habit of smoking in workplaces many times a day. This wastes a lot of time. A nicotine test conducted at offices to prevent smoking cigarettes at workplace and during breaks. This may increase the time that the staff and workers can spend to complete their tasks and responsibilities.

Employee Welfare:
Nicotine testing at workplaces helps in finding tobacco addicted people. Proper treatment and counseling should be given to such employees as it is the responsibility of a company to maintain the values and welfare of employees. Regular smoking tests and further consequences may help the smokers quit tobacco usage. The companies may take help of certain support groups consultancies to prevent their staff from smoking.

Reputation Risk:
Some organizations such as police force and the prison services have special respect. Such organizations do conduct the nicotine tests to prevent the loss of their reputation.

However, certain employees feel that nicotine tests conducted at workplace is an invasion of privacy.

Know About Risk of Cancer Due To Alcohol Consumption

A study published recently on the issue of Journal Of Epidemiology said that alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer. According to the study, people who consume alcohol are at least four times more likely to die due to cancer when compared to those who do not consume alcohol.

According to the background information of the report, alcohol causes cancer to the mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, and even to breast. Alcoholic beverages like wine, beer, spirits are being classified as the carcinogens (Human cancer causing agents) as expressed by National Toxicology Program in the United States.

According to the present study, Yi S.W and colleagues from Kwandong University Of Medicine in Korea, researched on the link between the consumption of the alcohol and the cancer in the digestive system for men and women. The researchers examined 6291 residents of Kangwha, who are of age 55 or even older for collecting the information on the relation between the alcohol consumption and cancer.

Due to the consumption of the alcohol, the rate of occurrence of esophageal cancer is 5.62 times more than the normal person who doesn’t consume alcohol. Even the colon cancer is 4.59 times more in alcohol drinker than in general person. If the consumption of the alcohol is more then it may lead to the death of the person because of colon cancer and even bile duct cancer.

The case is same with women, the alcohol drinkers are having more chances to get cancer when compared to the abstainers or the women who doesn’t consume alcohol.

At the end of the study, researchers terminated with the conclusion that alcohol consumption increases the deaths because of esophageal cancer and colon cancer in men.

Signs Of Inhalant Abuse

Regular household products that are carefully used for legal or reasonable purposes can become questionable in the hands of an inhalant abuser. The products which are mostly abused are glues or adhesives, nail polish remover, marking pens, paint thinner, spray paint, butane lighter fluid, gasoline, propane gas, typewriter correction fluid, household cleaners, cooking sprays, deodorants, fabric protectors, whipping cream aerosols, and air conditioning coolants.

Few signs of an inhalant abuser are:

• There will be different breath odor or chemical odor on clothing.
• They have slurred or disoriented speech.
• They appear drunk, dazed, or dizzy
• Signs of paint or other products on the face or fingers.
• They have red or runny eyes or nose.
• They will be spots or sores near the mouth.
• They suffer from Nausea and loss of appetite.
• Continuous inhalant abusers may show symptoms like anxiety, excitability, irritability, or restlessness.

Inhalant abusers also show the following signs:

• Repeatedly keeping a pen or marker near nose.
• Continuously smelling clothing sleeves.
• Exhibiting paint or stain marks on the face, fingers, or clothing.
• Concealing rags, clothes, or empty containers of the abused products in closets and other places.

There Is Rise In Marijuana Use In U.S. Teens

The annual survey was conducted on drug use among students in grades 8, 10 and 12 by researchers at the University of Michigan's National Institute on Drug Abuse for the U.S. government.

It revealed that among students in Grade 12, 20.6 per cent said that they used marijuana within the, compared to 19.4 per cent in 2008 and 18.3 per cent in 2006. Among Grade 10 students, the use of marijuana rose to 15.9 percent from 13.8 per cent in 2008. Fewer Grade 8 students said they experienced a "great risk" from frequently smoking marijuana, 44.8 per cent this year, down from 50.5 per cent in 2004.

There is largest decrease in marijuana use in England, Portugal, Switzerland, Slovenia and Canada. Increase in marijuana use is observed in Estonia, Lithuania, Malta, and among Russian girls, according to the Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drugs Problems in Lausanne. The reasons for decline in marijuana use is due to decline in evenings out with friends and preventions efforts in teens preferences.