If you have to test your employees for drug use, then you can run basic urine tests. However, hair drug testing might be a better solution. What are its benefits? 

1. Get Longer-Term Results

While urine drug tests are effective, they have some reporting limitations. These tests typically only tell you if someone has taken drugs in the recent past. They aren't likely to go back more than a week. While it's useful to know if an employee has taken drugs recently, it doesn't give you the full picture. You can't tell if the employee is a recreational drug user or if they have a more serious addiction.

Hair drug testing works over a longer time period. These tests can report on a period of a few months at a time. Most are likely to report on a 90-day basis; however, some more complex tests can go back even further.

2. Reduce Cheating

People sometimes try to cheat urine drug tests to get clean results. For example, if they have enough notice that they have to take a test, then they can simply stop taking any suspect substances a few days before the test. Or, they can try tricks to reduce drug markers. Some people will switch urine samples with another person and present their friend's sample as their own. Your testing company can't pick up a switched sample.

You can't cheat a hair drug test. If you test over the previous three months, then people can't modify their drug habits in time to pass the test. Their hair will contain traces of any drugs they have taken. There is nothing anyone can do to clean these traces out of their hair. Plus, people can't substitute hair samples in the same way as urine samples. If your tester uses photo IDs, then they can check that they are taking samples from the right person.

3. Spot Addiction Problems Early

If one of your employees is developing a serious drug habit, then urine testing might not pick up the problem early enough. If someone can hide their habit by staying clean for a few days, then you might not know about their potential problems.

Hair drug testing helps you identify people with potential long-term problems. You can then talk to them and help them get the help they need.

To find out more about how this type of testing works, contact a local hair drug testing service, such as AAVCOR.

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