How Long Does Alcohol Last In Urine Drug Screenings
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A number of people who drink work in companies and organizations that have random urine alcohol
tests. It becomes understandable, therefore, when many of these individuals ask the following question"
"how long does alcohol last in urine drug screenings"?
The Use of Urine Alcohol Tests in the Workplace
Numerous individuals who drink alcoholic beverages work at companies and
organizations that have random alcohol tests. Some of these workplaces use urine tests to detect alcohol.
Why are urine
tests used? Because urine alcohol tests are the most likely of all drug-testing methods to withstand
legal challenge, they have a high assurance of reliable results, they are relatively inexpensive, and they
provide the most flexibility in testing different drugs, including alcohol and nicotine.
Obviously, individuals who are employed at work places that use urine alcohol tests many times ask
the following question: how long does alcohol last in urine drug screenings?
To help answer this question, consider the information about blood alcohol concentration level
which follows.
The Importance of the Blood Alcohol Concentration Level
The amount of alcohol in the blood is called blood alcohol concentration or blood
alcohol content (BAC). Alcohol is metabolized at the rate of .015 of (BAC) every hour.
For
instance, a person with a BAC of .15 (this BAC is almost twice the legal amount when driving) will have no
measurable alcohol in the bloodstream ten hours after the last drink (.15 divided by .015 = 10).
If a person is driving and gets pulled over by the police, the police can administer a blood alcohol test
(usually done by a breathalyzer test).
If the person has a BAC of .08 or higher, he or she is considered to be driving "under the influence" (DUI).
A person with a BAC of .08 will have no measurable alcohol in the bloodstream 5.33 hours after the last drink
(.08 divided by .015 = 5.33). This is, in effect, the easiest way to answer the following question: long
does alcohol last in urine drug screenings?
| About 10 to 20 % of the people who drink heavily eventually develop cirrhosis of the
liver (i.e., a scarring of the liver). Alcoholic cirrhosis can be fatal if the individual continues
to drink. Even though cirrhosis is irreversible, if the affected person stops drinking, his or her
chances of survival can improve significantly. Even though some people may eventually need a liver
transplant as a last resort, many people with cirrhosis who stop drinking alcoholic beverages can
receive treatment and may never require liver transplantation. |
The EtG Urine Alcohol Test
With some urine alcohol tests, alcohol can be detected up to approximately 48 hours after a person has consumed
alcohol.
With the EtG Urine Alcohol Test, however, the presence of EtG in the urine shows that ethanol alcohol was
consumed within the past 3 or 4 days, or roughly 80 hours after the ethanol alcohol has been metabolized by the
person's body.
Consequently, it can be determined that a urine alcohol test using EtG is a more accurate indicator of the
recent ingestion of alcohol as compared to simply measuring for the existence of ethanol alcohol (which is
accomplished by a number of other urine alcohol tests).
| Psychological addiction occurs when the cravings for a drug are emotional or
psychological. Individuals who are psychologically addicted usually feel overcome by the desire to
have the drug in question. These feelings are so powerful that in many instances psychologically
(and physically) addicted individuals will do almost anything for their next "fix" including
stealing, lying, and in some instances, killing. |
Let us use one of the above mentioned examples to further illustrate the consequences of the EtG Urine Alcohol
Test. As stated above, a person with a blood alcohol content level of .15 will have no measurable alcohol in
his or her blood 10 hours after their last drink.
With the EtG Urine Alcohol Test, however, the presence of EtG in the urine reveals that ethanol alcohol was
consumed within the past 80 hours or so which could mean many hours after the ethanol alcohol has been metabolized
by the body.
| According to a 1999 report by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
6,374 youth from the ages of 15 to 20 were killed in auto accidents. Alcohol use was documented in
2,238 (35%) of these deaths. |
Thinking about this reveals the following. No, the EtG Urine Alcohol Test cannot tell how much alcohol an
individual consumed, but it can, nonetheless, detect alcohol ingestion after the alcohol has been metabolized by
the liver.
The upshot of this is that if the person, for instance, has claimed he or she has stopped drinking for any
length of time, the EtG test will demonstrate that he or she is not telling the truth.
| In many instances, people abuse drugs or alcohol in order to have "fun" or to get a
"buzz." Many people, in fact, report that having a few drinks makes them feel more comfortable in
social situations. The danger, however, is this: repeated alcohol or drug abuse can result in
addiction. |
How Long Does Alcohol Last In Urine Drug Screenings:
Conclusion
As long as employers lose substantial amounts of money and "person-hours" to alcohol abuse, they
will continue to use random alcohol tests. Although many companies and organizations use saliva tests,
breathalyzer tests, or blood tests, a number of them, interestingly, use urine tests to check for alcohol. Why
is this significant?
Mainly because EtG urine alcohol tests can detect alcohol in the urine up to 80 hours after the
alcohol has been metabolized by a person's liver.
If you drink alcohol, if you work for an organization or for a company that has established random
urine alcohol testing, and if you want to keep your job, it seems reasonable to suggest that you refrain from
drinking alcohol during the work week. Then you won't have to ask the following: "long does
alcohol last in urine drug screenings"?
In a study of more than 450 American alcoholics and 80 heroin addicts, it was found
that the absent father is a very typical occurrence. In fact, according to this study, it is the
rule rather than
the exception. |
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