What Drugs Appear on a Drug Test?

Drug tests are commonly used in pre-employment screenings in the United States. Drug testing started during the Reagan administration when President Ronald Reagan, under Executive Order 12564, made it a requirement to test for illegal drugs for all government jobs.

Drugs tests are designed to catch use of the most commonly abused classes of drugs in American society. Occasionally people who are being tested for drug use will attempt to ''cheat'' on the test using a variety of methods, including dilution of the testing sample, using another person's fluids for testing or by taking another substance that will cause a ''false positive'' and make the test results inconclusive.

Urine Drug Testing

• A urine test is the most common test used by employers. This test is able to detect usage of marijuana, cocaine, PCP, prescription drugs, speed, methamphetamine, MDMA (Ecstasy), morphine, heroin, methadone, barbiturates and phenobarbital. On very rare occasions, employers will test for LSD, mushrooms and other psychedelics. It is rare because it will cost the employer substantially more money for the testing. The testing will detect drug use up to 30 days from the time of use, depending on the drug used.

Hair Drug Testing

• Hair drug testing is considered to be exponentially more accurate than urine testing as it is designed to show drug use from as long as 90 days prior to the test. There is no documented way to beat the test, and it is considered to be extremely accurate. This type of testing is done by larger, more high-profile companies and law enforcement departments. The test covers the same drugs as mentioned above.

Oral Fluid-Based Drug Screen

• Oral fluid-based testing is designed to show drug use from within a few days prior to the test. This test is becoming more popular among testers because it is cost effective and easy to administer, along with being non-invasive. This method also allows for employers to perform on-site testing, which is the most effective way to test for drug use. This drug test will cover all of the standard drugs tested for in a urine test.

Sweat Drug Screen

• In extreme cases, sweat drug-screening is used. This is not a very common test to administer and is used almost exclusively by high-level agencies in the government and child protection services. The patches are left on the testing subject for 10 to 14 days and have protective security features that will prevent the wearer from removing it without the testing agency knowing about it. If a person does any drugs within that time period, they will show up on the test. The test will cover the same drugs listed above in the section on urine testing.

Blood Testing

• Blood testing for drugs is also common and will detect drug use approximately three to five days after use. Blood tests are considered to be more accurate than urine tests, but less accurate than hair-based testing. A test for drugs via blood draw makes it very hard for the person being tested to adulterate (manipulate) the sample being used for testing.