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How Do Saliva Tests for Drugs Work?

When you take a saliva drug test, a pad or swab is placed in the mouth for a couple of minutes. It is removed and placed in a collection vile. Testing time is approximately 10 minutes.

  1. How Drugs are Detected

    • Metabolites are contaminants that get in your blood as a result of drug use. They can be tested for the type of drugs used, but not how much or how long they have been used.

    How Drugs Get in Your Saliva

    • Metabolites are store in your fatty cells, hair and nails and are eliminated through the urine. They get in the bloodstream and are absorbed in the saliva where they can be detected.

    Types of Drugs Detected

    • Marijuana, THC, heroin, cocaine, crack, amphetamines, barbiturates, opiates, methamphetamine, ecstasy and PHP can be detected with this test.

    Time Frame

    • Most drugs do not linger in saliva and detection time is anywhere from 12 to 36 hours. This method is not a good choice for past drug detection because of the time limitations.

    Cost

    • According to Erowid, the cost of a saliva test can range from $15 to $75. Other tests can cost or more less, like the urine test ($7 to $50) and hair test ($100 to $150). Today, blood tests are less common because they are expensive. An example: Pre-paid Lab charges $209 for a blood test that tests for seven common drugs.

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