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The 12 panel drug test screens for:
The 12 panel drug test is available with both urine and hair.
When an individual is getting a hair drug test, the drug test specialist will cut a sample of hair from their head, as close to the scalp as possible in order to get the most recent growth. If there is no hair to take, they can use hair from the individual’s arms and legs. The test is relatively quick and completely painless.
The hair sample is then sent to the lab to be screened for the specified substances.
While urine drug testing is more common thanks to its affordability and ease of use, hair follicle drug testing offers a number of benefits of its own.
While it’s already a challenge to trick a urine drug test, cheating a hair drug test is next to impossible. For starters, it must be conducted by a drug test specialist, who will collect the hair specimen and is present for the duration of the collection. The individual being tested is never left alone during specimen collection, unlike urine drug testing, when they often provide the specimen in private.
Secondly, there’s no way to lie. Human hair reveals the truth. As soon as a substance enters your bloodstream, it begins to make its way to your hair follicles, where it becomes embedded and stays put for quite a long time. Despite what certain articles on the internet might have you believe, there’s no special shampoo or pill that will “cleanse” your hair of illegal substances.
The only way to pass a hair drug test is to completely refrain from using any substances.
While urine drug tests can look back about one week into the individual’s past, hair drug testing can look back 90 days and even up to a year, depending on the length of the hair collected.
This makes it an excellent alternative for screening for patterned, consistent drug use.
People sometimes prefer hair drug tests because they’re less invasive. As we mentioned, hair can be collected from the head, arms, and legs.
For all of these reasons, hair drug testing results in twice the number of positive test results of urine drug tests. They’re a reliable, trustworthy, dependable way to test and monitor an individual’s drug habits.
Because of how thorough and accurate they are, hair follicle drug testing is quickly catching up to urine drug testing as a preferred method of screening. This type of testing will sometimes be required by the legal system for court-ordered drug testing, child custody drug testing, and divorce drug testing.
Parents can also order it for personal uses, such as wanting to test their teenage children for drugs. They will often collect a hair sample from their child’s brush and have it sent to the lab. Please note that while we can conduct these tests, the result will show as an “anonymous donor.” This is because it isn’t possible to determine who exactly the hair belongs to, nor the time frame. Thus, the test result isn’t legally defensible. To avoid this, a drug test professional needs to collect hair from their head.
While drugs, in general, are dangerous for families, work environments, and other settings, many people opt for the 12 panel drug test first because it’s so thorough and robust, and also particularly for the opiates and marijuana screenings.
Our country’s current opioid crisis, which shows no signs of getting better (and is, in fact, getting worse), has given people an important reason to test for these substances. DrugAbuse.com confirms that tens of thousands of people die from opioid overdoses each year, and the numbers have climbed drastically since around 2002. Thousands more are hospitalized.
Opioids can destroy families and workplaces. Our country still hasn’t caught up in terms of getting prescription painkillers under control and also offering the proper treatment for people who are addicted. Until prevention and education take on a more prominent role, drug testing is our best bet at getting a better handle on the opioid epidemic.
The 12 panel drug test can also be helpful considering the changing laws surrounding medicinal and recreational marijuana use. While marijuana is still illegal under federal laws, each state is taking things into their own hands when deciding whether or not they want to legalize marijuana, and for which uses (in some cases, both recreational and medicinal). Our nation’s attitude toward marijuana may be becoming more lax, but it’s still a drug, and people who are impaired by it can still be a real threat to those around them.
US Drug Test Centers makes drug and alcohol testing easier, faster, and more convenient than ever. Simply order online, or you can call us at 866-566-0261 to speak with us further. Curious about our other tests? We offer a variety of drug test panels to choose from. If you don’t see the one you want, contact us to ask about getting a panel customized for you to fit your needs.
Remember we offer a number of other services as well, including:
Let us know if your business operates under the Department of Transportation and with which agency — we’ll make sure you’re compliant.
Contact us today for more information.
