What is drug testing?
Drug testing is a method of testing your urine, hair, and saliva for illicit substances that affect the way you think or behave. You might need to produce a clean drug test result as a condition of your employment or to confirm whether you were under the influence at the time of an accident or incident. Either way, the team at Industrial Medical Group of Santa Maria Valley can test you promptly at any time of day.
Your drug test results can show the presence or absence of the following substances:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Opioids
- Amphetamines/Methamphetamine
- Barbiturates
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
- Benzodiazepines
- Ecstasy
- Methadone
During the drug test, you’ll catch a sample of your urine in a sterile cup that your provider gives you. Depending on the reason for the test, someone may need to be in the room with you observing the urine leave your body. Alternatively, a saliva or hair specimen may be obtained. A negative result indicates a lack of drugs in your system, while a positive result needs further testing for confirmation.
What is alcohol testing?
Similar to drug testing, alcohol testing shows whether or not you have alcohol in your system. While legal to consume for adults ages 21 and older, alcohol impairs your judgment and reaction times and can affect your work performance and driving.
For an alcohol test, you don’t have to provide a urine sample as you do with a drug test. Instead, the certified staff at the Industrial Medical Group of Santa Maria Valley performs breath alcohol testing (BAT) or evidential breath testing (EBT). During the test, you blow into a mouthpiece for about six seconds. The device measures the alcohol on your breath and gives you a numbered result.
Although breath alcohol testing methods are highly accurate, if your reading is above .02, you need to take a second test to confirm. Any number above .04 is a positive test result. They can show your provider, your employer, or other people or entities whether or not you had impaired judgment or reactions during an incident.
When is drug and alcohol testing necessary?
You might need a drug or alcohol test for your employment or directly after an incident at work or on the road. The team at Industrial Medical Group of Santa Maria Valley provides both Department of Transportation (DOT) drug and alcohol testing and non-DOT drug and alcohol testing.
The DOT dictates that people who operate heavy machinery or drive for a living must take drug and alcohol tests to protect themselves and the public. They require testing before employment, after an incident or accident, due to reasonable suspicion, and sometimes at random.
IMG is proud to work with State and Federally-certified labs, including SAMHSA-certified labs. If you need drug and alcohol testing, call the Industrial Medical Group of Santa Maria Valley or schedule your test online today.
To inquire After-Hours Drug & Alcohol testing services, please contact our office to coordinate the After-Hours agreement.
