Drug Testing
Drug or anti-doping testing is conducted in sports to ensure that athletes are not using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors. Drug testing is also conducted in some workplaces to ensure that workers operating machinery are not under the influence of drugs. Drug testing is also used in law enforcement for testing drivers that may be under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.
equipment required: appropriate equipment, often specific for the drugs to be tested
procedure: Drug testing methods and procedures will vary depending on the drug to be tested and the equipment used. The testing authority should follow strict collection procedures, follow proper testing procedures and the sample collection should be done with random notification. The most common drug testing procedure used is urine testing, though other methods such as saliva, blood, hair and breath analysis can be used for some drugs. For drugs to be detected in the urine they must be absorbed, circulated in the blood and deposited in the bladder, which can take only 30 minutes for alcohol and up to three hours for most other drugs. A positive test may be repeated or a second sample tested to conform the results.
interpretation: Many factors can influence the drug testing results. Some of the factors that influence test results are: the individual's drug absorption rate, metabolism rate, distribution in the body, excretion rate, drug quantity, drug quality and testing method employed.
reliability: Drug testing is extremely accurate and reliable when all aspects of the testing process are done properly.
Examples
Related Pages
- Drug Testing for Athletes
- More health tests
- Doping in sports
- Doping Excuses
- Drugs and the Olympics
- Health Tests for Athletes
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