An alcohol urine test is mandatory in many organizations and companies, but are they really reliable? What do the authorities say about this test? Let’s find out.
Drug testing and alcohol tests have become a ritual in places like educational institutes, workplaces, and organizations. Drug screening before employing a person have also become very necessary almost everywhere. Alcohol testing comes under the same category as drug testing, that is performed to check presence of various drugs in the human body. The test is taken in five different ways, i.e., through urine, blood, saliva, hair, and breath.
What is it?
When a person drinks liquor, it is directly absorbed into the body system, through the small intestine. It is then distributed to all the body fluids, in such a way that, at the time of equilibrium, liquor content can be found in every liquid part of each and every tissue of the body. Amongst all the body fluids, urine is the most convenient specimen as alcohol reaches there within an hour of consumption. Initially, the alcohol levels are 1.3 times higher than all the other specimen collected. It is a reliable test that can show presence of alcohol in body for 2 to 3 hours more, than the blood test.
The procedure of urine and saliva test is somewhat similar. The client is asked for the urine specimen that is then studied in the laboratory by the knowledgeable laboratory technicians. The presence of alcohol is strongly visible during the peak level of its elimination phase. This test can detect the recent alcohol use but cannot state the exact degree of intoxication. The results may also differ from the blood count, at the time of collecting the specimen.
Pros and Cons
The urine test is relatively easy, reliable, and inexpensive of all the tests. The tests are also helpful for detecting almost all the other drugs than alcohol. When performed properly, it can successfully withstand any legal challenge. The test can detect alcohol consumption done within the past 4 days, and precisely within 80 hours before it gets metabolized in the body. When performed after minimum 2 hours of consumption, they can give the desired results.
Nonetheless, there are several downfalls of the test. The first being the threat of adulteration and dilution of the specimen. These tests can only give appropriate results within 5 days of consumption, this is where the other tests stand higher. Many people find the urine test to be a bit invasive and pretty embarrassing. Another thing is the handling of the specimen. There are chances that the shipping process can change the results of the test, which is not the regular case though. Diabetic patients and people with yeast infections and urinary tract infections, can show positive effects, even when they are not drunk.
Still, an alcohol urine test that is done by keeping all the precautions in mind can always prove very beneficial and justifiable.
