Drug tests are given to detect the presence of illegal drugs in the body, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, as well as addictive prescription drugs that are used nonmedically, such as hydrocodone or oxycodone. Many employers require that an individual be screened with drug testing before that person may be hired.

Individuals who have been sentenced in a drug court are also subject to random drug tests. If they fail a drug test because an illegal substance is present in their urine, then they will be sent to jail. In addition, in many cases, individuals who are on probation for a crime, including a crime that does not involve drugs, are subject to random drug testing at the behest of their probation officer, and they must comply with the requirement or risk being sent to jail. If they test positive for drugs, they may be arrested and jailed. Individuals who have been released from jail or prison may also be subjected to random drug testing as a condition of their parole or probation.

If an allegation is made that a parent is neglectful of their children because of drug abuse or dependence, the protective services department of the state or county may require the parent to undergo drug testing to determine whether the allegation is true or false.

Random drug tests (tests that are called without notice) may be required among people in some professions, such as airplane pilots and military service members. Individuals who are on probation or parole may be required to undergo random drug tests. Professional athletes as well as Olympic athletes and even high school athletes often must undergo drug testing in order to remain on a team. In addition, schools may require random testing of any student, and for any reason, in accordance with a 2002 United States Supreme Court decision, Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls.

In most cases, the drug testing is performed on the individual's urine; however, blood tests and hair tests may also be used to detect the presence of illegal drugs, as well as tests of the individual's perspiration or saliva. Hair testing can reveal the use of drugs in the past several months, while urine or blood tests usually only reveal recent drug usage. (However, marijuana metabolites may stay in the fatty tissue or bloodstream for up to 30 days.) A substance that is formed by the body when a drug is ingested, for example, when marijuana is smoked, a metabolite is stored in the fatty tissue and thus a drug test of the urine can reveal the use of marijuana for up to 30 days afterward. Some metabolites still have biological effects and can have significant impact on the duration of drug effect.

Rarely, individuals may have a false positive result of a drug test: they test positive for using drugs when in fact, they do not have any illegal drugs in their system. For example, eating items with poppy seeds may cause a false positive result of a drug test. Some antibiotics, particularly drugs in the quinolone class, including levofloxacin (Levaquin) and ofloxacin (Floxin), may also cause a false positive drug test finding. This issue was discussed in 2001 at length in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

If a drug test result is positive, usually a secondary set of tests is done, to determine whether illicit drugs are actually present in the person's body.

If the person who is taking the drug test is also legitimately taking a legal scheduled drug, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, etc.) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, then he or she should be sure to tell the testing agency requiring the test about this fact in advance, as well as telling the laboratory that is performing the tests. The person may also need a note from the doctor that the drug is taken for a legitimate medical reason and that it could cause a positive drug test result.

Some drug users will go to elaborate lengths to thwart the results of a drug test, whether it is because they want to obtain a specific job (and a positive drug test result would disqualify them), or a positive drug test result would violate their probation or parole and lead to their incarceration, or for other reasons.

Some Internet sites advise individuals on how to "beat the system" or even sell devices that purportedly will enable the individual who has abused drugs to obtain a negative test result. For example, some sites sell devices that resemble a flaccid penis, which can be prefilled with someone else's urine and then strapped onto the body. If the male is observed in the act of (apparently) urinating, it will appear to others as a natural act.

Some sites sell drugs that are designed to thwart the drug test result. These drugs are unlawful to use and their effectiveness is unknown. Other Web sites offer advice to drug users facing a drug test, such as telling the individual to drink large quantities of water the night before a scheduled test in order to dilute the urine and increase the odds of passing the drug test. If the individual fails the test anyway, such sites recommend that the individual protest loudly that he or she has been wronged and demand another opportunity to take the test within the next few days (when the drugs are more likely to be gone from the system, especially if it is the individual's urine that is tested).

Because of tactics that enable some drug abusers to prevent a positive drug test result, in general, random and unannounced drug tests are preferable to planned tests for employers or others who use drug testing, because with a random test, the individual will usually not have sufficient time to make or execute a plan to thwart the testing. In contrast, individuals who know they will be taking a drug test may delay the test until they feel confident that the drug is out of their system.

Most employers cannot reasonably order a random drug test, but when it is known or believed that the individual is a drug user, as with a person who has been charged with drug possession, random drug tests are preferable. Random drug testing is also sometimes used by corporations or the military.

References:

Baden, Lindsey R., M.D., et al. "Quinolones and False-Positive Urine Screening for Opiates by Immunoassay Technology." Journal of the American Medical Association 286, no. 24 (December 26, 2001): 3,115-3,119.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on Drugs and Drug Abuse at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to Drugs and Drug Abuse and other relevant topics.