| What is a EtG alcohol testing? An EtG, or ethyl | | | | only days, or even hours as it may be with a |
| glucuronide test can be preformed through | | | | urine sample. A hair alcohol test can stand up in |
| various means; two specifically are urine alcohol | | | | court as evidence 1 month from the scene of the |
| testing and hair alcohol testing. An EtG test | | | | crime to prove the person was under the |
| detected via urine samples, or with scalp hair | | | | influence, or completely sober and innocent as the |
| samples, test the presence of EtG in the form of | | | | case may be. Whereas a urine sample can prove |
| a biomarker. EtG or Ethyl glucuronide is a | | | | a person was drinking only within hours, only if |
| metabolite only produced when alcohol is in the | | | | they were able to test the person right after the |
| bloodstream. The more alcohol a person | | | | crime. |
| consumes, the greater amount of EtG markers | | | | New studies show faults with urine EtG alcohol |
| are present in the hair or urine sample. There are | | | | testing. According to the Substance Abuse and |
| several differences between hair and urine | | | | Mental Health Services Administration, or |
| samples. | | | | SAMHSA, “the EtG alcohol test may be too |
| Hair Alcohol Testing Has A Lower Risk Of | | | | inaccurate to be a reliable source of information |
| Contamination Urine samples have a history of | | | | about a person as an ‘abuser.’” |
| being tampered with. Scalp hair samples are close | | | | SAMHSA finds that the EtG alcohol test for urine |
| to impossible to contaminate, because the | | | | alcohol testing is too sensitive to distinguish |
| samples go through a special chemical testing | | | | between actual alcohol consumption verses |
| machine called a gas chromatograph that can | | | | exposure to minor amounts of alcohol found in |
| detect the tiniest traces of chemicals. Whereas | | | | household products or personal hygiene products |
| people have ingested products to “clean | | | | and can result in false positives from people who |
| out” their urine or replaced their urine with a | | | | had not ingested alcohol. Hand sanitizers, |
| clean sample, hair alcohol testing is much harder to | | | | cosmetics, food and even aftershave or hairspray |
| mess with, plus the hair is collected by a trained | | | | can trigger false positives. Unlike urine alcohol |
| nurse in plain sight. It won’t matter if a | | | | testing, hair alcohol testing can segment |
| person bleaches, dyes or tries to damage their | | | | metabolites into spans of time, unlike urine alcohol |
| hair, the gas chromatograph is able to detect all | | | | testing. Also, besides EtG, fatty acid ethyl ethers, |
| the metabolites- everything we ingest goes into | | | | or FAEE markers are examined in hair alcohol |
| our bloodstream which feeds our hair and in turn, | | | | testing, exposing heavy and light drinkers as well |
| shows up in the tests. | | | | as alcohol consumption as early as 12 hours after |
| Not only can urine alcohol testing samples be | | | | alcohol has been consumed. |
| tampered with, the sample has a very limited | | | | EtG hair and urine alcohol testing differ greatly in |
| testing life as alcohol evaporates and dissipates | | | | many categories, they both stand up in court, |
| quickly throughout the body. hair alcohol testing | | | | both can prove or disprove alcohol consumption, |
| only needs an inch worth of scalp hair to test- | | | | but one thing is for sure, hair alcohol testing is a |
| generating test results that show days, weeks | | | | far less intrusive test that can be done in public, |
| and if the scalp hair is long enough, months worth | | | | collected by a certified nurse and close to |
| of abuse or just as importantly, lack of alcohol | | | | impossible to taint and hair alcohol testing can be |
| abuse to show a clean record. | | | | traced back for months unlike urine alcohol |
| Why is Hair Alcohol testing Different From Urine | | | | testing’s short span. Unless one shaves their |
| Alcohol Testing? | | | | entire head- (which could be a cause for suspicion) |
| EtG hair alcohol testing is unique compared to EtG | | | | EtG alcohol testing for hair has gained ground as |
| urine alcohol testing because it allows the tester | | | | the best choice and most accurate test for |
| to segment testing results into months instead of | | | | alcohol testing. |