Does a 5 panel drug test check for alcohol?

If you were tasked with taking a drug test, it’s natural to start panicking about whether or not certain substances can be detected. Alcohol is one substance that people often ask about and I’m here to set the record straight.

So, does a 5 panel drug test check for alcohol?

The short answer: no. A 5 panel drug test only screens for specific drugs and their metabolites in your system. These types of tests are commonly used by employers or organizations as part of their pre-employment screening process. The five drugs that this type of panel checks include:

  1. Cocaine: Whether sniffed or smoked, cocaine is detectable through urine samples up to four days after its use.
  2. Marijuana: THC (the psychoactive component in marijuana) can show up on a urine screen up to two weeks following usage.
  3. Opiates: Opiates such as heroin have been known to stay in the bloodstream and produce positive results up to three days from last use.
  4. Amphetamines/methamphetamines (or “crystal meth” if you’re feeling fancy): Amphetamines can linger in your system like an unwelcome houseguest from one day all the way up until three whole days!
  5. Phencyclidine (“PCP”) : Have some bad trips lately? PCP might still be floating around inside you producing potently palpable potential for positivity when peeing unknown places! Especially within just four days….yeah man…mind blown

Despite popular belief, alcohol doesn’t fall under any of these categories despite how much we secretly may want it somewhere safe many feet away from us… but I digress.

Wait though – what tests would check my alcohol levels?

A breathalyzer measures blood-alcohol content while meters/gauges can be bought over-the-counter for checking the amount of alcohol that your body has metabolized, such as by testing urine. Alcohol is typically processed quickly by our livers and kidneys in a number of hours depending on our individual metabolism rate.

Okay, but what if I need to test for alcohol AND drugs?

If you absolutely have to check levels of both substances simultaneously, consider requesting a 10 panel drug test – aka expanded drug screening.. It adds five additional screenings:

  1. Barbiturates: Think ’60’s vintage hair bobs and swallowing down “yellow jackets” (little pills containing butalbital) – today this type of medication isn’t very common so if someone tests positive it could mean they’re abusing or consuming street drugs.
  2. Benzodiazepines: This class of sedatives are prescribed by doctors for various reasons e.g., anxiety disorders or insomnia like Lorazepam/Xanax/Dormicum/Temazepam etc.
  3. Methadone: A synthetic opioid withdrawal treatment med that lasts much longer (up to twenty four hours) per dose compared than other opioids
  4. Propoxyphene (Darvon): A prescription painkiller used primarily for mild-to-moderate pain; its abuse is tricky being there could be liver toxicity risks even when taking recommended doses.
  5. Ethanol/alcohol: The substance we have been talking about all along

These remaining panels mainly focus on pharmaceuticals whereby with most cases these are tested due to misuse rather than use unless ordered specifically otherwise.

What happens if I get caught with an illicit substance outside of work?

Okay let’s make something clear here: I am definitely not condoning any kind of illegal activity, including indulging in nefarious endeavors outside one’s employment scope, just want to make sure we’re clear!

But hypothetically speaking…if you do end up getting caught or tested elsewhere with illegal drugs present in your system, you may end up violating any Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. This could lead to suspension of driving privileges or even legal penalties as well.

Top approaches to keep from coming into contact with substances people and substances who are bizarre friends

Given the consequences that can result from failing a drug test, it’s important to take precautions if you think there might be any risk at all. Fortunately, there are steps that workers and others can take:

  1. Avoid exposing yourself altogether: – One way is by keeping far away entirely from troublemakers’ parties – wherever they tingle like an itch..this strategy has been known to work quite effectively surprisingly enough!
  2. Know what’s around: You know what danger lurks ahead when someone smells heavily burnt toasted bread nearby – aka ‘burn cornflakes smell’, and it’s time for cautionary measures now.
  3. Take care in social settings where usage of illicit substances is rampant: if one does go out remember not just going along/meeting with tops but avoiding types sitting round lighting cigarettes outside venues – however fashionable this scene appears indeed one must consider their choices…
  4. Keep your body happy internally; staying healthy on the other end will help prevent temptations through suggestion such as sleep/rest/nutrition etc
    5/ Lastly do-check-when-any-medication-is-being-ingested…clarifying purposes being crucial at home taking cough medication/paracetamol may get missed giving false positives so communicate/drive safely!

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