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How to Choose the Right Test Type for Drug Screening?

Over the past few years, the problem of drug addiction has not lost its relevance. This is largely due to the socio-economic difficulties that many citizens face – an unhappy situation in the family, low wages, and inability to realize their plans and dreams. The human psyche suffers, and it often leads to the use of psychostimulants and the development of drug addiction.

Duration of the complete elimination of drugs

Traces of narcotic substances in the human body remain for a long time. That’s why the best drug testing kits in the UK allow you to determine if a person has used certain substances even after he or she has come to a normal state. Illicit drugs leave the clearest traces for an average of seven days after use, with light psychostimulants lasting much longer than heavy ones. For example, a drug test detects marijuana in the body no later than 14 days ago, while traces of heroin stay in the urine for only 3-4 days. And in the blood, the drugs will be 12 hours after the last dose. It is easier and more accurate to diagnose the presence of synthetic drugs in the body. In chronic drug addicts, testing reveals special antibodies to psychostimulants of artificial origin. They are kept in the blood for up to 4 months.

Types of tests

Currently, specialized medical institutions offer various types of drug tests that allow determining with varying degrees of accuracy the presence of narcotic substances in the blood, urine, hair, and other biomaterials. The most common testing methods include immunochromatographic express analysis and toxicological tests. Each of these methods has its own peculiarities to consider when evaluating test results.

Which drug test to choose

Nowadays, there are tests to detect a group of drugs or a specific drug. The easiest way to detect potent substances in the body is an express drug test. It consists of a strip impregnated with a special compound that detects the presence of chemicals of a certain group in urine or saliva. But if you need to do a test for drugs of a particular type, you need to choose the right way of testing:

  • Spice. Testing for the presence of this psychostimulant can be done with test strips bought at the drugstore. But the exact result will only give an analysis conducted in a clinical setting or a special laboratory.
  • Heroin. It is also determined by an express test for narcotic substances. The price of such a test is minimal, but unfortunately, the accuracy is quite low. If there is a suspicion that a person uses heroin, it is better to do a blood test in the clinic.
  • Cocaine. The test for this drug is done in a specialized laboratory. You can also use a pharmacy analysis, but in case of a positive result, it will need to be confirmed by a more accurate method.
  • Amphetamine. To identify this drug, special studies are needed; only a clinic can guarantee the result.
  • Marijuana. It’s the simplest test available to do at home.

It is very difficult to return an addict to a normal life, but the earlier the disease is identified, the easier and cheaper its treatment will be. If there are doubts about the adequacy of your loved one’s behavior, it is recommended to arrange for their drug testing. If the result is positive, you should immediately contact a narcologist and begin treatment.