EtG hair testing uses hair strands to detect traces of alcohol use. This has become one of the most accurate and favored ways to test for substance abuse. If you ever need to make use of this service, read ahead for what to know about EtG testing.

What Is It?

Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) is a metabolite of ethyl alcohol and a direct biomarker for alcohol exposure. ETG can be detected in an ETG hair test, ETG urine test, and even an ETG fingernail test.

This ethanol typically comes from alcoholic beverages, and ethyl glucuronide is found in hair strands when analyzed.

When Is It Necessary?

An EtG hair test is often required for circumstances involving court orders, such as drug testing required for child custody decisions. You can also test someone you suspect of struggling with alcohol abuse. The test results are fast, and you can help them begin the rehabilitation process as quickly as possible.

How Accurate Is It?

EtG hair testing is far more effective than other methods like urine analysis when needing a more extensive detection time. The detection time for an EtG hair test is an estimated 90 days, whereas a urine EtG test can only detect alcohol 80 hours from consumption. EtG fingernail testing has an estimated look back of three to six months. Hair samples are not only easy to collect, but it is difficult to cheat since it requires taking strands of hair straight from the subject.

Why Is It Preferred?

A hair test is far less invasive than a urine test, and far easier to administer. A urine or blood test becomes ineffective after one to three days, as substances are quickly filtered out of the body through urine, but hair strands, as previously mentioned, retain that history for up to 90 days. Hair even records drug use chronologically, making it easier to determine the pattern of alcohol consumption.

When you’re performing drug tests for your employees, you want to make the process as clear as possible. You want to be sure your drug test program conveys your concern for the safety and well-being of your employees and your clients. So, to make sure your employee drug testing goes as smoothly as possible, avoid these common mistakes employers make when drug testing employees.

Using DOT Requirements and Compliance

Thanks to organizations such as SAMSHA and The US Department of Transportation, the drug testing process, requirements, and even cut-off levels have become more clearly defined and standardized.

There are many industries that have very specific guidelines that employers and employees must meet to stay compliant with drug testing standards, including the trucking industry, oil and pipeline work, aviation, railroad work, and even the Coast Guard. Two common mistakes employers make when drug testing employees are not knowing whether they need a DOT or non-DOT drug test and not knowing that they may also be required to be signed up with a consortium in the event they do need DOT testing.

This means it is crucial that you review your state’s policies on drug and alcohol testing and devise your own company drug testing policy, which brings us to our next point.

Unclear Policies and Drug Testing Requirements

A large majority of employer-related drug testing is done as a pre-employment drug test. Other employer-related drug tests are more circumstantial. Post-accident, reasonable suspicion, and return-to-duty are all common reasons an employer may require a drug test. The most common mistakes employers make when drug testing employees is that they fail to require drug testing once their staff members have passed the initial pre-employment drug screening.

Often, employers try to cut costs by skipping random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, and return-to-duty drug testing.

Realize that your employees are your business. They have access to sensitive information, such as your company and client credit cards, bank statements, and login credentials. They may drive a company vehicle, operate heavy machinery, or have access to dangerous chemicals or prescriptions. We know that additional drug testing will cost more money, but by only requiring pre-employment drug testing, you are leaving a huge gap and liability in your company’s drug test strategy. Realize that adding random drug testing does not have to cost a lot!

Currently, the 2020 DOT random testing rates are fifty percent for drug testing and 10 percent for alcohol for most agencies. However, as long as your company is not regulated by DOT requirements, you can set your random drug testing frequency and cost however you want. The key is for your employees to know that random testing is a possibility.

Unsuitable or Incomplete Drug Tests Programs

You may realize that you are expected to conduct drug and alcohol tests when necessary, but do you know how to do so? Do you have the necessary resources at your disposal?

Getting your company started on a drug test program may seem overwhelming. You most likely have a lot of drug testing questions. What drugs should you test for? Do you need a lab order for the drug test? Are you going to have to talk to your employees about their private prescriptions? Don’t worry—you are not the first company to have these concerns. A drug testing agency can walk you through the process and provide online drug test orders that will ensure efficient and accurate drug test results that you can rely on.

Drug testing provides a way for companies, schools, and even parents to see if other people are using alcohol or drugs. However, to test for these substances, you must choose from a range of methods. Below, we break down the different types of drug tests so that you can better understand what each test entails.

Blood Tests

Although people don’t frequently test for drugs by analyzing blood, blood drug tests have advantages. The body absorbs drugs through the bloodstream, so when a professional draws blood, they can detect the concentration of substances in the system with just a small sample. This is an invasive process, but you can accurately detect illegal drug use—in fact, it’s almost impossible to cheat this type of test. Drug testing via blood is a good choice if you’re concerned the specimen donor may attempt to submit a fake urine sample or another person’s urine specimen—there’s no way to submit another person’s blood.

The relatively quick results are also a benefit of blood tests; you can receive confirmation of drug use within five to ten days.

Hair Follicle Tests

A hair follicle test involves taking 90 to 120 strands of hair from someone’s head and analyzing it. An individual can use a kit to send the hair to a laboratory, or they can take this test at a hospital, lab, or one of AMH Nationwide’s 7,000 collection sites. Hair follicle drug tests are incredibly accurate since the sample can show whether the individual has used drugs in the past three months.

Fingernail Tests

Shockingly, labs can also test fingernail clippings for alcohol and drugs. As nails grow, a small amount of the substance remains in them. Like hair strands, fingernail samples also have longer detection windows—labs can trace drug use back six months.

Perspiration Tests

Once a person uses illicit substances, the drugs eventually leave the body through sweat. Although people don’t discuss this type of testing as often as other methods, it’s reliable and has been around for at least a couple of decades. To administer the test, a professional will place a patch on an individual’s skin. That person will wear the patch for up to a week, and a laboratory will test the sweat that collects on the patch.

Saliva Tests

If you’d like to utilize noninvasive testing methods, consider oral fluid testing. Collecting saliva is incredibly simple—all you must do is use an oral swab to scrape the inside of the cheek. A lab will process the test and analyze the saliva retrieved from the swab. Test results may be instant, or the lab can determine the results in only a few days.

Urine Tests

If you think about all the different types of drug tests, urine tests are probably what you’re most familiar with. Urinalysis can help labs detect drug presence, even after the user no longer experiences the substance’s effects. An individual must simply urinate into a specimen cup, and a lab can analyze their urine sample for a wide range of drugs.

Whether you’re an individual or employer, if you need to order a drug test online, AMH Nationwide makes the process effortless. We take pride in our ability to make drug testing affordable and accessible. For more information, give our Customer Care Team a call today.

I am looking for the most extensive hair drug test. Another website said the 12 panel was the most comprehensive, but isn’t there a 17 panel hair drug test? I want a hair drug test that can test for everything, or as much as possible. My ex is accusing me of using “drugs.” I am so upset about this that I just want to test for as much as possible, and for as long as possible. At this point, I don’t really even care about the cost. I just want to prove her wrong. What hair test checks for as many drugs as possible?
Clinton, 42, Phoneix, AZ

Hi,

I need a 17 panel fingernail test for my foster son. We received my son about 2 years ago. His home before ours kind of let him roam free. He started off very hard to deal with. Griffin (my foster son) struggled with house rules and his grades in school. My husband and I determined the root of the problem was Griffin’s partying and drug use. For the entire first year we did urine tests weekly. As we hoped after a couple of months of negative drug tests Griffin turned his behavior and grades around. Recently, Griffin’s behavior has taken a turn again. Griffin has been parting more so I’m sure he’s back to using party drugs. I need the 17 panel fingernail and hair test  because my daughter tells me that there’s been alot of talk about “Special K” at their school. Griffin has gotten smart at getting around these at home drug test and even the lab urine test. Apparently people can purchase fake urine from online now. I’m not worried about the fingernail test at all because he has longer fingernails than the average guy, but I am worried about the hair test. I ‘m sure Griffin will complain about us messing up his hair for this test. Is Griffin going to have a large bald spot from this test? Also, what  information do you guys have on ketamine?

Allison P, Boston MA

I need a 5 panel fingernail drug test. My husband and I are worried about my teenage daughter. She has been sneaking out and getting bad grades. I gather some of her hair from the shower and completed a 5 panel self hair test. The hair test came out negative which is weird because I  know she is a marijuana smoker.

I am most worried about her possible cocaine use. She is up all night on the weekends and her friends that she hangs out with seem pretty off. To top it off she recently cut her hair very short. She might have an inch if that. Strange coincidence right? Of course I don’t believe her reasoning was centered around style. My husband is convinced a fingernail test would be better. I don’t see much information online about fingernail testing. Do you guys offer and have any background on fingernail testing? Will you please let me know if this will be more accurate?

Janet Z,  Houston, TX

Hello AMH,

I need a 9 panel hair test for my son. Recently my nephew and so got into a huge fight. Apparently my son gave my nephew urine to use for my nephew’s drug test. My nephew is a huge pot smoker and he was worried it would come back positive. But, to everyone’s surprise my son’s urine came back dirty for cocaine and methamphetamine. About 7 months ago he experienced a really bad break up with his girlfriend and he has not been the same since. My son who’s usually full of smiles has been irritable and lazy. I need the 9 panel hair test because when my nephew told me what happen I immediately went through his phone and saw him asking his friend for “bars”. Online it said that “bars” is a code name for Xanax. Please give me more information on how I can help my son.

Maria, Tuscon, AZ

Hi

I need to order a 12 panel hair test for my father. Last year he had to have a colonoscopy because he was experiencing severe abdominal pain along. Turns out my father had noncancerous polyps. My father was prescribed meperidine to help with pain. Since this prescription my father has developed a dependence.

To make a long story short we got him the help he needed and now he claims to be clean. My husband is not convinced and would like him to take a 12 panel hair test before being around our son. In the past, my father’s struggle with addiction  has cause him to put my family’s life at risk. We don’t want to take any chances. He struggled with cocaine and alcohol addiction in the past, so we’re not familiar with this. Please help us so that we can reunite our family confidence.

Jessica J, Chicago IL

Hello,

I need  5 panel test for my husband. My husband is a law student at a prestigious school. All through undergrad, my husband was taking his prescribed Adderall. Although he was prescribed Adderall he honestly just mixed it with caffeine and used it to stay awake. I don’t think my husband has ever really suffered from ADHD.

When we moved to the city of his law school the doctor stopped prescribing him Adderall. He hasn’t found a doctor that will prescribe it to him since. My husband promised me that he hasn’t been abusing any other uppers since and that he is able to stay up all night from coffee alone.  He has just been really weird all year, grumpy one moment and hyper the next. I no longer trust him. I don’t believe him so I want a 5 panel hair test to verify my suspicions. He is  likely abusing cocaine or maybe even methamphetamine. Though drug abuse is not okay with me at all, I know cocaine is a pretty popular party drug. How bad is it?. Can you help me?

Sabrina W, Batesville Ms