Drug and alcohol tests are essential to keep the welfare of an individual, organisation, and community safe and healthy. They are common in roadside screenings, sports events, and workplaces. Drug and alcohol use are the top factors for many accidents on the road or at work. That is why law enforcement and safety-regulated industries conduct drug and alcohol testing. These tests can help reduce the number of road crashes, collisions, and workplace accidents. With the increasing number of substance-related accidents, more companies implement drug and alcohol tests. Consequently, many drug and alcohol test kits are available to detect substance use. But are cheap drug and alcohol tests worth it?
Illegal drugs and alcohol are substances that affect the normal functions of the brain and nervous system. In high amounts, they impair the senses, perception, judgment, and motor functions. In particular, high levels of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), illegal drugs or prescription medications can affect your ability to operate vehicles or equipment. Alcohol or drug usage can cause blurred vision, impaired hearing, slow reaction times, poor balance, and uncoordinated movements. It also results in low productivity, increased absenteeism, and low employee morale. Therefore, more companies conduct drug and alcohol tests to keep the workplace secure from risks of substance impairment. Various options, such as laboratory examinations or cheap drug and alcohol tests from pharmacies, are available.
Cheap Drug and Alcohol Tests: Screening Procedures
Drug and alcohol testing detects the presence of illicit substances and alcohol in the system. When we consume alcohol or drugs, the body absorbs them and carries them to vital organs through the blood. They stay in the system until the body completely metabolises them. To conduct a drug and alcohol test, a licensed professional would collect a specimen from urine, saliva, blood, hair, or breath. Then, the samples will undergo laboratory analysis to quantify how much and what kinds of drugs are present. The standard method for alcohol screening is a breath test and urine or saliva sampling for drugs. Alternatively, some companies use cheap drug and alcohol tests to detect substance use or exposure. Furthermore, for more accurate and reliable alcohol tests, companies can use a workplace breathalyser from Breathalysers Australia.
Mostly, cheap drug and alcohol tests bought in pharmacies can detect commonly used substances. Urine and oral fluid tests can detect drug use for up to 24 hours. They are ideal methods since they are less intrusive than a blood test. Meanwhile, self-drug test kits can determine the presence of illicit substances in the system. However, these kits cannot identify the exact amount consumed and the drug that was used. Therefore, they are only efficient for initial screening if you suspect someone is using drugs. A drug test can detect illegal substances like:
- Cannabis
- Opiates
- Methamphetamines
- Amphetamines
- Benzodiazepines
- Cocaine
Cheap Drug and Alcohol Tests: Alcohol Breath Test
Workplace testing is one way to manage safety risks and deter alcohol and substance use effectively. For example, cheap drug and alcohol tests can identify employees with substance abuse problems. Through early detection, you can help affected individuals undergo treatment and rehabilitation. In addition, if someone shows symptoms of intoxication, you can ask them to perform a breath test through a breathalyser. A breathalyser is the testing device for identifying alcohol in the system. It is a portable machine with sensors that can analyse the sample breath and determine the BAC and intoxication level. The professional breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia use fuel cell sensors to measure the BAC level accurately. Fuel cell sensors are specific to ethanol and do not interfere with other substances like acetone. They also maintain consistency longer despite repeated testing. Therefore, they are least likely to produce false positives.
Cheap Drug and Alcohol Tests: Are they worth it?
Substance impairment in the workplace poses maximum risks to the workers. Additionally, accidents and injuries have cost companies millions of dollars in hospitalisation and accident compensation expenses. Therefore, it is crucial to enforce a workplace policy to reduce the preventable hazards of alcohol and drug use. As such, a workplace policy should focus on helping individuals cope or recover from substance abuse and not only focus on punishment. Through a workplace policy, the employer may administer drug and alcohol tests when necessary. However, there are doubts about the reliability of cheap drug and alcohol tests. Therefore, when administering self-drug tests, ensure that you use FDA-approved sampling kits. You may research online or ask a local pharmacist for such kits.
The reliability of alcohol breath tests also depends on the device used. In particular, breathalysers use two kinds of sensor technology, semiconductor and fuel cell sensors. A semiconductor breathalyser uses tin-oxide to oxidise alcohol molecules. Most personal breathalysers use semiconductor sensors as they are cheaper than a fuel cell sensor. However, they interfere with other chemical compounds in the breath, giving false-positive results. Therefore, cheap drug and alcohol tests are only ideal for home or personal use. So if you depend on high accuracy, a laboratory examination is the best option. Moreover, testing facilities follow a chain of custody to ensure the correct handling of the test samples. It may cost more, but you are assured of the reliability of the results. The breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia are also highly reliable.
Benefits of Constant Workplace Testing
Employers must ensure to keep the workplace safe and healthy at all times. It must manage all preventable safety hazards to protect the well-being of employees. One of the cost-effective strategies is workplace testing. The consistent monitoring of drug and alcohol use can help deter substance abuse and promote healthier practices. Additionally, cheap drug and alcohol tests can help identify impairments in the workplace until a confirmation test is available. Moreover, drug and alcohol tests are vital for maintaining a safe and healthy environment. More advantages of workplace testing are:
- Reduce workplace accidents, casualties, and fatalities
- Lower overall costs
- Reduce liabilities
- Decrease absenteeism and turnover rates
- Hire the right person for the job
- Improve productivity
- Foster healthy relationships
- Refer affected employee undergo a treatment or recovery program
- Boost employee morale and company integrity
BACtrack: Affordable and Reliable Breathalysers
Everyone can benefit from using a BACtrack breathalyser from Breathalysers Australia. Many individuals who consume alcohol regularly use the device to moderate their intake. It is a cost-efficient tool to monitor your BAC from going over the legal limit. Bars have coin-operated machines to help their patrons check their blood alcohol levels before leaving. Likewise, high-risk industries like mining, transportation, and construction have wall-mounted breathalysers for their employees to check before entering the premises. Moreover, cheap drug and alcohol tests enable employers to monitor substance impairment to manage safety risks. Fortunately, Breathalysers Australia provides affordable yet dependable breath tests through BACtrack workplace and personal testers. BACtrack has a wide range of fuel cell breathalysers suitable for every budget and personal or professional needs. There is a wide variety of highly accurate devices available on Breathalysers Australia.
