Drugs are found all over the place now, and it’s easy for many people to get their hands on it. No longer are drugs just a problem on the streets, but they are being used where we live and work. Schools have started using drug testing just like the big businesses do before they hire you. Employment drug testing is something that many places do to make sure that you are coming into their work area clean and ready to work. However, they do not just do it when they hire you. Many of them do random drug testing throughout the year to be sure that you are staying clean and out of trouble.

There are different laws about employment drug testing, but the main thing to know is that businesses can ask that you do a drug test before they hire you. If you fail the drug test or refuse to take it, the companies have the option of not hiring you. Most of the time you hear about company drug testing being done whenever they go to hire you. This way they can see what kind of person you are before you enter into their work area. However, it soon became known that companies did this, and people started doing things to pass the drug test. Before they would go apply for a job they would stop using drugs for a little while. This way their system came up drug free, then after being hired they would go back to using again. However, this did not fool the big businesses for long, and they found another way to help keep the work area drug free.

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Drug testing is quite common when a person is applying for a job at a company that wishes to be known for having a drug free environment. If a person is arrested for a drug charge, it is common for drug testing to be part of a person’s punishment and/or probation. But what about drug testing in schools? Do you feel that this will keep your child safe? Will it help prevent your child from using drugs at all? Learn what you need to know about drug testing in schools so you can then make an informed decision regarding your child.

Drug use is universally a problem. Unfortunately, younger and younger children are using drugs. What can we blame for this increasing drug use in today’s times? We could blame television and movies, the glamorization of drugs. Perhaps we could throw a bit of blame toward the media and the celebrities whose pictures are splashed across headlines every time the word drug can be used. When it all boils down, the two main factors that may influence whether or not a child will experiment with drugs is prevention by his or her parents or guardians and peer pressure.

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Drug Detection Times refer to the “window” of detection for drugs of abuse. If a person is tested too soon or too long after use, drugs may not show up in human urine. Often someone will ask us, How long to drugs stay in the body? This short guide will help to answer that question. For the purposes of clarity, this guide is a reference for the detection of drugs of abuse found in human urine.

How long do drugs stay in your system? The length of time that the presence of drugs of abuse in the body can be detected is an important factor in drug screening. The chart below outlines approximate duration times. When interpreting the duration for the presence of drugs of abuse in the body, you must take into consideration variables including the body’s metabolism, the subjects physical condition, overall body fluid balance, state of hydration and frequency of usage.

Drug Detection Times in urine are expressed below in terms of lower and upper boundaries. The amount of time that a drug/metabolite remains detectable in urine can vary, depending on the following factors:

• Amount and Frequency of Use: Single, isolated, small doses are generally detectable at the lower boundary. Chronic and long-term use typically result in detection periods near or at the upper boundary.
• Age: In general, human metabolism slows with age, resulting in longer drug detection periods.
• Body Mass: In general, human metabolism slows with increased body mass, resulting in longer drug detection periods. In addition, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) and PCP are known to accumulate in fatty lipid tissue. Chronic users, physically inactive users, and individuals with a high percentage of body fat in relation to total body mass are prone to longer drug detection periods for THC and PCP.
• Metabolic Rate: Individuals with slower body metabolism are prone to longer drug detection periods.
• Drug Tolerance: Users typically metabolize a drug faster once a tolerance to the drug is established.
• Overall Health: In general, human metabolism slows during periods of deteriorating health, resulting in longer drug detection periods.
• Urine pH: Urine pH can impact drug detection periods. Typically, highly acidic urine results in shorter drug detection periods.
• Note: In a small percentage of cases, users may test positive longer than times shown - most notably in cases of long-term chronic abuse, in individuals with significant body mass and/or body fat, and in individuals with health related issues resulting in abnormally slow body metabolism…

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