Alcohol & Urinalysis

Testing urine for signs of alcohol consumption is inexpensive and accurate. Urinalysis has a few key benefits over other types of alcohol testing. The time window in which a urine test can detect alcohol is much longer than the standard breathalyzer test. Though the testing can provide a more accurate picture of past alcohol consumption, it may take up to two hours for alcohol to show up in the test.

The EtG Urine Test

• The EtG test is commonly used by authorities conducting urinalysis. According to Expert Drug Testing, a website that details types of drug and alcohol detection, the test looks for ethyl glucuronide, or EtG. This substance is a direct metabolite of alcohol, and is present in urine after alcohol is consumed. An EtG test with a result of 100 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) indicates the recent ingestion of alcohol with certainty, as the only way you can have EtG in your urine is if there was alcohol in your body.

Time Frame of Detection

• According to Expert Drug Testing, an EtG urine test can detect the presence of alcohol consumed up to 80 hours ago. This time window makes it an effective test of drinking history, unlike the breathalyzer which can only detect recent consumption.

Benefits of Urine Tests

• According to Alcohol-Test-Info.com, urine tests are beneficial for a number of reasons beyond time frame. They are inexpensive when compared to other alcohol detection methods. It's easy to test for other drugs during the administration of a urine test, and they have a high level of accuracy.

Downsides of Urine Tests

• There are a few downsides to using a urine test to check for alcohol consumption. Alcohol-Test-Info.com points out that they are often considered an embarrassing form of testing. They also create a biological specimen that must be carefully disposed of once the testing is complete. Test subjects who want to cheat can more easily tamper with urine than with other types of sample. Most importantly, it might take up to two hours for the alcohol to begin to show up in urine.

Common Uses of Urine Tests

• Alcohol-Test-Info points out that the extended detection window provided by a urine test makes it appropriate for a diverse set of circumstances. Companies that monitor alcohol use may use it to test their employees. Authorities also use urine tests to monitor recovering alcoholics, as it tracks their drinking over a few days.

  Prevention not Punishment, a website that combats underage drinking and drug use, points out this urinalysis is used in some high schools and sports programs to combat underage drinking. If administered on a Monday, the test can tell if the minor consumed alcohol over the weekend.