Regardless of the type of business that you operate, having a drug-free workforce ensures that your employees are performing optimally and greatly reduces the chances of unnecessary workplace accidents. In order to achieve this, many employers will conduct random drug tests to evaluate their employees, with one of the best drug tests for this method being the saliva test. However, the question for many employees is what types of substances these tests will be able to pick up on. If you plan on administering saliva tests in your workplace, let’s take a look at what you can expect your results to reveal.
Why use saliva tests?
Saliva tests are excellent options due to their ability to pick up on substances that may have been recently used. Unlike other drug tests, which may find traces of drugs that may have been used in the past, the saliva test detects substances that have been used within hours or days. Additionally, this method makes it near impossible for someone to cheat the system, which could happen if you administer a urine test instead. This makes it a valuable resource for employers who are looking to conduct random drug tests that will tell them whether or not their employees have been using anything recently. For those who have had an incident on their job site or who have cause to test an employee, these types of tests can be very insightful in determining if substances have played a role in a worker’s behavior.
What drugs can saliva tests detect?
Saliva drug tests can detect a fair number of but they do have their limitations. Some drugs may be able to avoid detection if the test isn’t administered soon enough and may not come out properly if someone eats or drinks a beverage too close to the test. That said, the substances you can expect to see when you use a saliva test include:
- Marijuana, which will remain in the system for approximately 1 to 3 days after use
- Alcohol, which will remain in the system for approximately 1 to 5 days
- Opioid medications, which will remain in the system for around 1 day to 36 hours
- Methamphetamines or amphetamines, which will remain in the system for 1 to 5 days
These are just a few examples of drugs that you may see. However, you can test for other drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, PCP, and barbiturates. Much like the above, these drugs are typically present within the body for a few days after use. There are also some instances in which a drug test may (rarely) produce a false positive. If this happens, you can always grant another test to an employee and check to see if they are taking any medications or other substances that could change the results of a test. When it comes to drugs that are acceptable for medical use, it is up to you to make sure that your employees are not under the use of these substances when they are working. That said, you may allow them to continue to work with you if they show up on a drug test.
Best of all, saliva drug tests are affordable, easy to use, and make the process of testing for drugs simpler in the long run. If you are considering using these drugs tests in your workplace, make sure that you purchase a reliable kit, such as the Oral Cube saliva test. With a reliable test on your side, you are sure to get the results that you need in order to build a safe, efficient workplace