Random Drug Testing
Random drug testing - what are they looking for?
If you're up for random drug testing, you're probably wondering what exactly they're looking for. Will your slight marijuana habit show up? Or that beer you had with lunch? If you're within the limits on legal substances, you'll probably be OK - testing is expensive, and organizations will rarely waste the time and money.
As for illegal substances, there are the 'common' drugs: pot, which is used by 12.1 million Americans; coke, used by 1.7 million, and the hallucinogenic group, which includes acid, PCP and ecstasy, used by 1.3 million people (statistics provided by the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy).
But there's a far broader range of substances that your school, your employer, even your athletic association may be interested in. The federal government usually tests for five basic classifications of drug:
- Amphetamines - crystal meth, speed
- Hashish, pot
- Cocaine, coke
- Opiates - opium, heroin
- PCP, angel dust
Most drug tests are designed to detect those five drugs, but some companies and schools may test beyond the primary five. Not all of these drugs are illegal (such as alcohol) and most others are available with a prescription. They include:
- Alcohol - beer, wine, liquor
- Depressants - Butalbital, Phenobarbital, barbs
- Benzodiazepines - sleeping pills, roofies
- Hydrocodone
- MDMA - ecstasy
- Sedatives
- Methadone
And although rare, it is possible to test for:
- Inhalants - Household and commercial products, rubber cement, spray paint, household glue, nitrous oxide, ether, chloroform
- Acid
- Nicotine - tobacco
- Mescaline, peyote, buttons
- Tryptamines - Psilocybin, magic mushrooms, shrooms
If you're an athlete, on the other hand, testing depends which organization you play for. The NCAA, for example, may have a strict 'no alcohol' policy for college athletes. The major league sports organizations have their own requirements, as does the U.S. Olympic Committee. Although steroids are the most popular drug among athletes, these organizations typically test for a broad range of substances, both legal and illegal. Beyond the usual alcohol and pot, these can include:
- Stimulants
- Narcotics or other pain relievers
- Anabolic steroids - nandrolene, testosterone
- Diuretics
- Peptide hormones
- Local anesthetics
- Respiratory drugs
- Beta blockers
- Glucocorticosteroids
- Caffeine
New Zealand Workplace Drug Testing