How to Test for Substance Abuse

Drug tests aren't just available through private laboratories. Testing for substance use at home is reliable and affordable, and urine, saliva and hair are the three most common test types. A hair test kit is sent off for analysis and provides a 30- to 90-day drug history for drugs including marijuana, cocaine and meth. A urine test is faster and more versatile. Results are almost instant, and you can test for up to 12 drugs at once or test for one specific drug. Saliva tests also provide instant results but are only recommended if very recent substance abuse is suspected.

Instructions

• 1

  Purchase a drug testing kit from a pharmacy that can detect the drug or drugs you're looking for. A hair test kit requires that you ship the sample to a laboratory for analysis, and results could take several weeks to arrive.

• 2

  Pay special attention to the directions for collecting a hair, urine or saliva sample. Incorrect collection could result in inaccurate results. The Home Health Testing website recommends that hair samples never be collected from a hair brush because more than one person might use the brush.

• 3

  Collect the sample as directed on the drug test package. Hair samples should be cut as close to the scalp as possible and be at least a half-inch long. The longer the hair samples, the longer the drug history results will be. Urine specimens should be collected in a clean, dry container. Saliva tests require that the person being tested not put anything in her mouth for at least 10 minutes before taking the test.

• 4

  Complete the test by sealing a hair sample and shipping it off, dipping the test strips into the urine sample or by placing the saliva sample into the test tube.

• 5

  Wait for the results. Saliva and urine test kits will have results within minutes.

• 6

  Use the instructions in the kit to accurately read the results.