Indiana has set an example that other states may soon be following. The U.S. Department of Labor has reported 30 other states have considered requiring drug testing for those receiving government assistance.

The new rule works like this: once a person applies for job training they have one business day to undergo a urinalysis drug test at a state approved site. The drug test will test for marijuana, cocaine, opiates, PCP, amphetamines and methamphetamines. If the test is passed the candidate will receive a reimbursement of $35 for taking the test. If a candidate fails the test they will not receive reimbursement, and will be suspended for 90 days. After the 90 days, a second drug test will be required. If this second drug test is positive, the person will not be allowed to apply for job training for a year.

All results of the drug tests will remain confidential, and the results are mailed to the client. The client then needs to show WorkOne (the government agency) the results when applying for job training. If a client is currently taking legally prescribed medication they need to discuss that with the drug test provider. Any discussion between the drug testing staff and the client will remain confidential.

Any applicant that refuses to take a drug test will not be allowed in the program. Clients enrolled into the job training program, before this rule went into effect will not be required to take a drug test.

This rule does not affect the unemployment benefits, only the job training classes.

So you may be asking how is this test conducted and how does it works. To test a person for Benzodiazepines they are usually ordered to submit a sample of their urine. Why urine? Well inside urine there is an untold amount of specific metabolites, which are the essentially the leftovers after the body breaks down a drug. By analyzing the urine for certain metabolites, a testing strip can identify whether or not a person has consumed the substance based on chemical residue. In a BZO drug test they are looking for a certain major one called oxazepam. If found in urine oxazepam provides irrefutable evidence of use. Benzodiazepines stay in the body longer than most prescription pills since the drug directly effects the muscles, and this result in BZO drug testing which can detect use up to ten days after the last time the pills have been taken.

Benzodiazepines are located in many prescription drugs including Xanax, Valium, and Lunesta; most of which have a high rate of addition. If you should screen positive on a complete drug test and cannot provide evidence of a legal prescription, consequences could be severe depending upon you place of business. Ensure that you have documentation of a legal prescription and be aware when a pill is habit forming.

So does pregnancy impact drug testing? No, not really. Drug tests simply don’t work that way, hormones don’t influence the results and the test is usually noninvasive. Drug tests analyze the content of metabolites in a person’s urine. Metabolites are the byproducts left within the body after a drug in consumed and broken down with the body. Although hormones have altered many of the chemical levels within the body, this level(s) will remain largely unaffected. It has been feared that pregnancy and the drugs prescribed for the pain associated can deliver a “false positive” result however this is not true. The only way to have the key metabolites being tested within your body is to have ingested them at some point previous to the testing.

In addition the testing of oneself can be done so without any harm to the mother or the child. Most screening devices are done by analyzing the waste products of a person, like the urine or hair. The testing of these do not put the baby in harms way and do nothing to affect the ongoing pregnancy. Taking a few strands of hair follicles for a hair drug test has no effect on the child. However if one is using, or has issues with substance abuse, you are encouraged to detox and test yourself previous by visiting any hospital. By law the hospital staff can and will test any mother suspected of consuming drugs during pregnancy; if a positive result is attained for any reason problems will occur. Even minimal use and second hand smoke can be detected through this test which can lead to the involvement of child protective services and other law enforcement agencies if the unborn child is at risk.

Cocaine, also known as benzoylmethylecgonine, is a nervous system stimulant derived from the Coca plant typically grown in the mountains of South America. Cocaine is one of the most iconic and prevalent drugs in America second only to marijuana. Many assume that the drug peaked in the 1980s but cocaine is still an issue in today’s society. Usually the substance takes on the appearance of a white, crystalline powder but it can also be “cooked” into less pure forms of “crack cocaine” where it takes the appearance of a small rock or pebble. Cocaine is a water soluble drug that stays in the body for a relatively short time usually between 1-3 days, as opposed to the 2-3 weeks it takes for more fat soluble chemicals like THC.

A Cocaine drug test is most common among those serving probation or on parole, but is often conducted in major corporations and other high-paying jobs as well as being widely available in home drug testing kits. Like other drugs, Cocaine can be detected by examining the waste processes of the body; namely the saliva, hair, and most commonly the urine. Any substance of abuse exam will also screen for all cocaine derivatives such as crack or primo bowls (cocaine sprinkled on marijuana). If a person has ingested any form of benzoylmethylecgonine then it will appear in urine, hair or oral saliva drug tests.

Barbiturates and other similar depressants have a relatively high rate of addiction and dependence, second only to narcotic and opiate pain killers. Testing for these drugs is not as common as marijuana drug tests and is normally given when a business or parent suspects a specific addiction may be taking place. In the past, Barbiturate drug testing for these legally prescribed pills would have gone unnoticed, but with increased abuse and addiction comes more innovating screenings. To be tested a person must submit a urine sample, this sample is then analyzed by either a lab technician or a simple test strip if using a home drug testing kit.  The test targets specific Barbiturate (BAR) leftovers, called metabolites. These metabolites are what remain after a consumed drug is broken down and excreted by the body. Each drug has a different process for being broken down and thus has a different metabolite.

Names of medications that contain Barbiturates are pentobarbital and Phenobarbital. If you are subject to a Barbiturate drug test and then screen positive be prepared for the consequences. Without a legal prescription you can be subject to a variety of punishments and or rejections. On average Barbiturates stay in the body and urine stream between 4-10 days. Blood work and hair drug testing can detect the presence of barbiturate abuse for a longer period of time; 14 and 30 days respectively.

Complete drug testing kits first require that a sample is taken from the waste processes of your body; meaning the hair, saliva, or most commonly the urine. From there researchers or test strips (depending upon your screening method) analyze the content of specific metabolites inside of it. Metabolites are the leftover chemical residue found in body after a drug is consumed and broken down. The majority of illicit substances are expelled in your waste but all drug leave behind certain particles which can be detected and used to determine past substance abuse. These particles can be examined to reveal exactly what drug was ingested and sometimes even when. Amphetamines take on a variety of forms including pills or powders, all of which are stimulants and highly dangerous. They have also been known to be added or combined with other drugs to enhance the experience such as Ecstasy.

So what happens if you test positive? Well unless it can be proven that the drug in question was obtained legally and for legitimate use the consequences can be dire. If prescribed Ritalin, Adderall or another form of ADD/ADHD remember that you will appear dirty for amphetamines so keep your prescription forms ready to show your testing administer.

Due to the antagonistic compounds of this opiate blocker, Buprenorphine drug testing isn’t usually done to detect an addiction but rather it is used by doctors and clinics to make sure that a patient has been properly taking their medication. However, abuse can occur if excessive doses are consumed. BUP screening is done just like any other drug tests; a person urinates into a cup and the sample is then analyzed using metabolite specific testing strips. These strips, or sometimes dyes, detect key metabolites in the person’s urine. Metabolites are the leftovers after a certain drug has been ingested and broken down inside the human body. Each drug creates a unique metabolite allowing technicians and home drug testing kits to easily identify which drugs if any a person has been consuming. Similar to the half life times of other prescription pills, Buprenorphine only remains in the body for a couple of days, so complete drug testing must occur within 72 hours of the last ingestion.

Oxycodones, and other powerful pain medications similar to it, are the most abused prescription medications in the world. Why? They act on the opiate receptors in the brain giving the user a complete loss of pain and entering them into a blissful euphoria. Opiates are one of the most powerfully additive addictive drugs there is and the obtaining such powerful narcotics has never been easier thanks to pill mills and unscrupulous doctors. Undoubtedly you have heard of the more illegal versions, derivatives of the Opium poppy known as Heroin and Morphine. With so many of our nations young and old becoming addicted to this medication, Oxycodone drug testing has never been more readily available.

Testing is usually done by analyzing the urine of a suspected user and looking for certain “leftovers”, called metabolites. Expensive lab testing is available for blood analysis and hair drug tests are a great intermediary between urine screening and blood work. Once the drug is consumed these metabolites are what remain after the body breaks down and excretes the drug. Each substance has a certain metabolite and through analysis a drug test can determine whether or not a person has said metabolites in their body. Should a person test positive for this drug and not be able to provide evidence of a legal prescription consequences could be dire. Opiates and Oxycodone tend to leave detectable traces in urine for 1-3 days due to its water soluble nature. The bottom line is that OXY drug tests can detect high levels of opiates but is designed to screen specifically for certain opiates derived off Oxycodone (such as Percocet and Oxycontin).

Marijuana is usually consumed by smoking, eating, or ingesting. If any part of the resinous chemical that forms on the leaves of the female plant enters the body, it will test positive on a marijuana drug test. Worldwide it is the third most consumed drug next to Caffeine and Nicotine, and in America it is extremely popular among teens and young adults while still maintaining a significant popularity among the baby boomer population. However even with use of the drug high, negative perception and its illegal status make it a common substance for complete drug testing kits. Unlike Opiates and Amphetamines, Marijuana use can be detected long after it has been consumed; usually two weeks for the average person but a month or more for a heavy user. This is due to the fact that THC is a fat soluble, as opposed to water soluble, chemical. In order to break it down and rid itself of the chemical the body must also break down the fat cells that contain it.

THC drug testing comes in many different forms. There are expensive blood laboratory services but most home drug testing strips offer the same accurate results at a much cheaper price with a simple urine strip. Since marijuana is the most used illegal drug worldwide, there are also less invasive methods as well. Oral saliva drug tests are a cotton swab that the user places in their mouth for a few minutes which can be given on site in public. Hair follicle drug tests for marijuana are also available and can trace substance abuse back to the previous 90 days. Find the proper drug testing method that best suits your needs.

The ability to screen for several drugs at once, using a Multiple Substance Test, provides parents with a more complete look into their child’s behavior while greatly improving the chances that any drug abuse will be detected. Home drug test kits can be utilized in many forms, including the urinalysis drug test, the hair follicle drug test, and the saliva drug test. Each of these options provides different benefits, such as the 3 month testing scope of the hair follicle test and the ease of use provided by the saliva test. For concerned parents who want to do everything they can to keep their children drug free, home drug testing is the most powerful tool you have.