| There has been a lot of talk about hair alcohol | | | | test and uses them as indicators of the alcohol |
| testing and how it matches up against traditional | | | | consumption. As the hair grows, it absorbs special |
| forms of alcohol testing. Some argue for the price | | | | markers called fatty acid ethyl esters and ethyl |
| of the specific test, there are others out there | | | | glucuronide (EtG) into its structure, which remain in |
| that can reveal alcohol abuse for half the cost of | | | | the hair indefinitely. These patented markers are |
| hair alcohol testing. The fact is, other tests like | | | | only produced when there is alcohol in the |
| breathalyzers and urine alcohol testing can reveal | | | | bloodstream, and the more markers there are, |
| alcohol consumption but not anywhere near the | | | | the more alcohol you consumed. |
| precision or the scope of hair alcohol testing. | | | | The amounts found in hair are measured in |
| Essentially, by testing for alcohol abuse with hair | | | | nanograms (one nanogram equals only one billionth |
| alcohol testing once, you can reveal 12 months of | | | | of a gram)- however with the benefit of modern |
| abuse, whereas a urine alcohol test’s findings | | | | technology, it is now possible to detect such small |
| could only reveal up to a week or 10 days at | | | | amounts. |
| best. Hair alcohol testing is extremely sensitive | | | | Pros and Cons of Other Traditional Methods |
| and exact, and for many employers, social | | | | Verses Hair Alcohol Testing |
| services and others, exact information is priceless. | | | | • Hair Alcohol Testing Window of Detection: Up |
| How Small Is Too Small Of A Trace Of Alcohol | | | | to 12 months |
| To Be Found In Hair Alcohol Testing? | | | | • Traditional Methods: Less than 4 weeks |
| Hair alcohol testing is so sensitive to alcohol that it | | | | • Possibility of False Positives or Tampering |
| can pick up traces of alcohol in a person’s hair | | | | with Hair Alcohol Testing: None |
| if they were to visit a pub or in a dentist office or | | | | • Possibility of False Positives or Tampering |
| other environment where medicine with alcohol is | | | | with Traditional Testing Methods: Yes |
| involved. Alcohol is around us in the air in different | | | | • Invasive Testing Procedure with Traditional |
| forms whether we are aware of it or not. Ethanol | | | | Testing Methods: Yes |
| is present in all hair including those who abstain | | | | • Invasive Testing Procedure with Hair Alcohol |
| from alcohol altogether. | | | | Testing: No |
| To avoid the confusion of those who ingest | | | | Whether your school, office, hospital or legal |
| alcohol and those who happened to be in the | | | | system should use hair alcohol testing as its |
| environment of alcohol present, hair alcohol | | | | preferred method of testing for alcohol abuse is a |
| testers use EtG alcohol testing, a special form of | | | | very personal choice that depends on many |
| hair alcohol testing that measures the amount of | | | | factors. You can’t put a price on your |
| alcohol ingested and metabolized by the body. | | | | company’s name as a reputable provider of |
| When a person consumes alcohol, part of it | | | | safe services. When it comes to paying for piece |
| reacts with fatty acids to produce esters. The | | | | of mind on your staff or student’s safety, |
| test adds up the concentrations of four fatty acid | | | | there isn’t anything more valuable than that. |
| ethyl esters, (FAEEs) that are apparent in the | | | | |