What to know about the Most Commonly Used Drugs and Drug Testing
has passed between uses are factors that will influence how much of the substance is detected at the time of testing.
Why does this all matter?
Now that you know a little about the who and how of drug tests, there is also the why. While the general thought behind drug testing, no matter what entity is administering it, is to protect people and property, there is also a greater underlying societal reason. In general we as a society have accepted our drugs of choice such as alcohol and the others have been outlawed with good reason. Side effects of Drug Usage vary based on the type and amount of a drug used. Almost all drugs have been linked to some type of addiction or unhealthy disorder that can be developed after prolonged use. It is a fact that one in two will become addicted to crack cocaine, a highly purified form of the drug cocaine, after first use. One in three will become addicted to cocaine or amphetamines after first use with heroin bringing up a close fourth for highest addiction ratio to use. The new scourge of the Midwest meth amphetamines have been shown to cause severe paranoia and other mental disorders. Telltale signs of meth use include prolonged periods without sleep and then crash, extreme paranoia with no perceived threats, and sores on the face and other parts of the body from frequent itching of the user in response to a crawling feeling on the skin.
Drugs have also been directly linked to other sorts of crimes. Those addicted to any type of drug begin to steal, rob homes or commit other property crimes to get cash or things to sell to support their addiction. Some users may start selling the drug they use just to be able to have it. It is not uncommon for women addicted to crack, meth or other highly addictive substances to start trading sex for drugs or begin prostituting in general. What all this shows is that using a drug for the first time may have no consequences. Once an addiction sets in however, a person is no longer in control and all decisions made by that individual are driven by drug use. These decisions tend to be poor at best and commonly deadly to themselves and others. Drug use leads to more frequent drug use which leads to crime and contact with the law and eventually a person can be heavily addicted and destroy their own or others’ lives.
Christopher Collins has been an authority in the field of Onsite Drug Testing for more than 17 years. He was one of the first people to introduce the concept of deterrent Random Drug Testing using onsite kits into the UK. At that time almost all centers doing Drug Testing sent samples to the National Health Hospital labs. Mr. Collins then founded Euromed Ltd. which became the leading drug testing co. in the UK pioneering on site testing which enabled clinicians to act immediately without waiting for lab results. The first trial of a Drug court in North of England was sponsored by Euromed Ltd. in Wakefield called the STEPP project where he worked with staff implementing the protocols. This trial was highly successful & The British Government then “ring fenced” significant funds for onsite testing in HMP Prison Service. This was instrumental in securing a contract through Euromed Ltd. with the UK Prison service to exclusively supply all their drug testing kits & train all their officers in their usage. Christopher Collins collaborated with the late Professor John Henry who was the A&E Consultant at St. Mary’s Hospital Paddington in London to manufacture a qualitative on site test to rule in/out acetaminophen at A&E Triage. This saved significant time & cost for many UK hospitals. Mr. Collins was able to collect the appropriate data by doing clinical trials in London Hospitals & obtained FDA clearance to introduce the first on site Buprenorphine Test to the USA. Back home in the USA he has been asked to lecture at different schools & rehab centers in Orange County to parents on the dangers of drug usage through peer pressure & how using testing kits correctly can be a useful resource when working with their children giving them a reason to say “no”.
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