At home drug tests can be a lifeline for anyone who is concerned that their child or partner may be using drugs. In today’s culture of binge drinking and drug abuse, having the ability to order testing kits online and conduct this at home yourself – without having to go to your family doctor – is seen as a huge advantage by many. In the past, parents may have been reluctant to seek help for problems of this nature due to the stigma attached to drug use and how positive results may reflect on them as parents. Nowadays however, the internet enables parents to find advice and information about drug use anonymously. This anonymity and discretion can be maintained by using a home drug test kit to find out whether their loved one would benefit from professional help or intervention.
Here at MHE, we have many years of experience in supporting businesses and the healthcare sector with drug and alcohol testing products. We are now proud to put that same expertise into home drug tests to offer a simple, cost effective solution for parents and partners who may wish to test anybody that they worry may be misusing substances.
Who Uses Home Drug Tests?
The majority of customers buying Home Drug Tests are those who are trying to support and assist adult children, typically aged 18-25 and who may be in danger of developing a substance abuse issue. We understand that their loved ones are trying to add some form of structure and support to halt this decline, which can be quite stressful and emotional for all concerned.
It is our firm belief that having an at home drug test regime in place can be beneficial for a number of reasons:
- Allows the user to prove their abstinence and see for themselves that they CAN do without the substance.
- Home drug testing gives the individual the perfect excuse if they’re young and feeling peer pressured: “I can’t… I get drug and alcohol tested regularly”.
- Firms up the young person’s resolve in dealing with their problem and allows them to demonstrate that things are improving.
- Home drug tests offer parents the opportunity to test their child in the privacy of their own home as a first step in determining whether their child is at risk.
- Rebuild trust that has been damaged by substance abuse – No More Lies!
It is essential that you have all of the information and advice you need in order to feel confident in the process of testing and the results that are revealed which is why we are on hand to support you however we can.
Do I need to Home Drug Test my Children?
The NHS Digital survey, ‘Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England’, conducted in 2016 found the following:
- Nearly a fifth (18%) of pupils said that they had taken drugs in the last year
- 10% of pupils said that they had taken drugs in the last month, up from 6% in 2014
- The average age for both female and males accessing specialist substance misuse services was 15 years old.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales 2017 showed an increase in class A drug use in the previous 12 months among 16-24 year olds.
In addition to these surveys, research by the Department for Education showed that school exclusions for alcohol and drug use increased substantially in 2016.
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 clearly states that it is an offence to unlawfully possess or supply a controlled drug, even if the drug is supplied free of charge. Many young people do not realise this and can inadvertently put themselves in a more precarious legal position.
Home Testing Options
The most common types of at home drug tests are :
- Urine Drug Testing
- Saliva / Oral Drug Tests
- Hair Drug Test
- Surface Drug Detection Wipes / Swabs
- Laboratory Urine Drug Testing
Urine Drug Testing at Home
Urine drug tests are simple and convenient when considering starting an at home drug testing regime. With the MHE 10-drug test cup you will achieve an accurate result in a matter of minutes with no handling of the actual sample. Testing for the ten most commonly abused drugs removes the temptation for the ‘donor’ to transfer from their initial drug of choice to a different drug.
Drugs can be detected in a person’s urine within an hour or two of using them and can remain detectable in urine for days – dependant on the drug. For example, Opiates and Cocaine can typically be detected in urine for 2-5 days and stimulant drugs like Speed and Ecstasy (Amphetamines / Methamphetamines / MDMA) can take a little longer – from 2 to 6 days. Cannabis can remain detectable for up to 4 weeks using our home testing kits if the use of the drug is regular enough (a lifestyle user), although a one-off use can be below the cut-off level in around a week.
Urine drug test cups are commonplace in hospitals, drug treatment and rehabilitation centres, doctor’s surgeries and businesses etc, so you can rest assured of the accuracy of the results.
Visit our drug information page for more details and information on other drug types.
Saliva / Oral Drug Tests
Oral fluid or Saliva Drug Testing is designed to be as easy to use and non-invasive as possible – simply ask the donor to put the swab in their mouth, have them collect the saliva, put the swab back in it’s container and read the results within minutes.
One drawback is that saliva drug testing only detects drug use over a matter of hours (typically less than 24 hours). A person would need a fairly high level of drugs in their body for it to be detected in their mouth in sufficient quantities to give a positive reading, meaning that monitoring abstinence is more difficult. For example, someone who used heroin yesterday is quite possibly going to test negative today on a saliva drug test kit, but would test positive on a Urine Drug Test.
Hair Drug Testing
The main advantage of hair drug testing is that it can detect drug use (or abstinence) over a far longer period of time. This is often measured in months, as we are able to test back for as long as the hair has been growing. As hair typically grows at around about 1cm per month, a 3cm section of hair would represent approximately a three month history for instance.
A hair drug test does costs more and takes longer than urine testing or saliva testing as the hair needs to be processed before it can be tested. We therefore have to charge a processing fee, followed by a charge per drug, per section. Hair testing usually takes around a week to complete, but results can be available in as little as 3 days from receipt of sample.
Visit our Hair Drug Test page or contact us for details or for any further information.
Surface Drug Detection Wipes / Swabs
You can test for signs of drug abuse at home using Cocaine Surface Drug Detection Wipes. These easy to use wipes are very handy for detecting the use or handling of cocaine.
Simply wipe over any flat surface which you suspect may have come into contact with as little as a trace of cocaine. If the wipe turns blue it indicates the presence of cocaine residue.
These wipes would mainly be used in bathrooms, on shelves, desks, in vehicles etc. Please note: These wipes are a screening test for information purposes only.
Laboratory Urine Drug Testing
Testing via a laboratory has the advantage that any test results are admissible in courts of law, which can be extremely useful in divorce or custody cases for example. Another benefit of using a laboratory urine drug test is to confirm a previous on-site screening test.
Laboratory drug screening is more expensive than the usual at home drug testing detailed above and you will also have the time delay brought about by mailing the urine sample to the laboratory, the time it takes to run the actual tests and to provide the report. It is typically 2 to 3 days for the full GC/MS confirmation test results.
Visit our laboratory drug testing page for more details on how we can help.
So why choose MHE for your at Home Drug Testing requirements?
At MHE, we pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive, sympathetic and discrete solution for all your home drug test needs. Orders are shipped the same day, as long as they have been placed by 2.30pm. In addition to home drug test kits, we also provide all of the necessary laboratory services and technical support, so please feel free to contact one of our friendly experts. We look forward to being of service.
