Drug testing should ideally be conducted in a laboratory environment. There the testing methods, samples and results will be most pure and reliable. Usually, a drug testing lab contracts with corporations and organizations to provide the service as often as needed. The labs may test only the newly hired employees of their clients, or sometimes labs will provide random testing of employees. This is useful when there is suspicion or frequency of drug use with one employee or a group of employees. It is also useful when operation of heavy machinery or a motorized vehicle is part of the job description. Typically, in these cases, the employees of the companies and organizations contracting with the lab will visit the lab to undergo drug testing during business hours. Urine sample testing is most commonly used in such labs.

Following an accident or injury, a person might be tested for the presence of drugs in the system. This so-called post-incident testing helps determine whether a person was under the influence at the time of the accident and whether criminal charges or a lawsuit should be filed in the future. In the case of an on-the-job accident, it can determine whether the employee is eligible for workman’s compensation to pay for treatment of their injuries. Whether the accident occurred on the job, on the road or elsewhere, it will most likely involve a blood draw at the hospital’s emergency room. In the case of an accident on the job, the blood sample will most likely undergo toxicology testing at the lab that the company contracts with. In other instances like vehicular accidents, where legal consequences may be involved, the blood sample will most likely undergo toxicology testing at a government laboratory. These labs often have backlogs due to the high number of tests they must handle, so test results can take several weeks. If hospital admission is not needed, like in a vehicular accident, the officer working the scene of the wreck may utilize police training and skills to analyze whether the driver is under the influence of drugs.

The legal system might order a parent to undergo random drug testing in the case of child custody cases, to ensure the safety and well-being of children. This will typically be conducted at a private drug testing facility hired under contract by the government. The legal system might also want to ensure that a patient is not violating their probation in a drug-related criminal case. In addition to employers seeking to minimize on-the-job risk and the legal system seeking to minimize societal threats, drug rehab facilities are also interested in conducting drug testing. Drug rehab programs could include drug testing on-site or with an outside testing facility hired under contract by the rehab center. These parties have a vested interest in knowing whether a person is drug-free. Additionally, drug testing kits are also available for purchase by general consumers, primarily via various Internet web sites. However, this is an amateur approach with unreliable results. Drug testing is best left in the hands of professionals.

Many different scenarios require drug testing. From newly hired employees to parental custody cases, there is a broad range of situations where drug testing may be needed for a variety of reasons. It may not even have anything to do with suspicion of drug use, but it may be standard practice by a company or organization for protection against liability.

First of all, drug testing is typically administered to new employees during the hiring process. This is a good idea to establish a baseline reference point. The drug tests can look back for weeks into the employee’s history to show if they are a drug user. Often, companies will continue drug testing employees randomly throughout the duration of their employment. This is particularly important in professions that involve caring for children, the elderly or the disabled, or if the job requires a lot of driving or operating of heavy machinery. Employee drug testing can help discourage drug use at work and lessen the chance of accidents occurring.

Drug testing may also be given to employees after an on-the-job incident. If it is found that the employee was under the influence of drugs, then this test can provide a defense for the company against lawsuits if the employee or someone else is injured. The company’s case will be further strengthened if it had established a history of conducting random employee drug testing as a preventative measure. Post-incident drug testing can also establish whether an injured employee is eligible for workman’s compensation. Such might not be the case if they were under the influence of drugs at the time of the on-the-job accident. Drug testing is an important tool in protecting companies from liability by association and preventing drug-affected people from injuring innocent members of society.

Drug testing is also typically administered following vehicle accidents or traffic stops by law enforcement. Officers are skilled at picking up on small cues that indicate drug use, and drug paraphernalia is typically present in the vehicle as well. When a vehicular accident is involved, nurses will often draw blood from the vehicle drivers if they happen to visit the emergency room following the accident. These blood samples can be analyzed in a drug lab and may be presented later as part of a private lawsuit or perhaps even a criminal case. If a person is found to be under the influence of drugs when they caused injury or death to another, it can open them up to grave criminal charges and legal liability.

Patients in a drug rehab facility will often undergo drug testing as well. This is critical to identifying whether the program is working for each individual and whether a patient is ready to be released. Additionally, drug testing may be required of a person convicted on drug charges who is released on probation. This is simply to ensure compliance with the law and the conditions of probation. Drug use while on probation would be a violation that can land a person in jail for a long time. Sometimes random drug testing is required of a parent in a custody case as well, to ensure the safety and well-being of children.

Drug testing is most often a scientific examination of urine samples to determine whether or not drugs are present in the body. Drug testing can be administered at scheduled times, most often during the process of being hired at a new job. However, drug testing can also be administered randomly, so the person undergoing drug testing will not know when to expect it. This is effective when there is suspicion of or history of drug use in a particular employee or group of employees. If a drug test indicates drug use, a drug rehab program may be appropriate.

Some companies make it standard practice to require employees to undergo random drug testing throughout their time of employment with the company. This is particularly true of companies that require frequent driving or operation of heavy machinery. Random drug testing can also be ordered by the courts or by drug rehabilitation facilities when there is suspicion that someone may still be using drugs.

Drug testing may also be given following incidents like car accidents, DUI arrests or on-the-job accidents. This clarifies whether drugs played a factor in the incident and can be useful in the event of future litigation. The drug testing results can point to more serious legal ramifications, like possible fines or jail time. The results of a drug test can also mean the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony criminal charge.

In addition to drug testing by urine samples, also known as urinalysis, other types of drug testing include: hair, saliva and sweat drug testing. While urinalysis is the most common type of drug testing, hair is the most accurate type. This form of drug testing can go back three months on average. There is, however, a dispute over the hair structure of some ethnic groups falsely creating positive drug testing results. There is also some dispute as to the reliability of drug tests. For instance, urine tests can be “cheated” in a variety of ways, and there are even products on the market to “cleanse” a person’s system or otherwise mask any evidence of drug use in order to beat the test. It is a profitable industry that is highly popular among drug addicts.

The different kinds of tests have different levels of reliability and different lengths of time until results are available. Saliva tests can detect drug use during the previous few days. This highly quick and convenient drug testing method is gaining popularity because there is no way the results can be compromised. Sweat drug testing is a very rarely used method that involves the secure application of a skin patch that registers any drug use over the period of a week or two.

Organizations that enforce mandatory drug testing are required to do so by federal regulations set up during the Ronald Reagan administration in the 1980’s. These include employees of the federal government and occupations regulated by the Department of Transportation. There are five groups of drugs that can be detected by tests. These include marijuana, hashish, cocaine, amphetamines (meth), opiates (heroin, opium, codeine, morphine, etc.), and Phencyclidine (PCP).

Deciding when and how to talk to your kids about drugs can be quite a difficult task. In today’s information-driven society, the earlier, the better. High school and even junior high will probably be late in the game. There is ample opportunity for your child to learn about drugs from the media – particularly Internet, where there is widespread, instant access to information (and misinformation) on a vast array of topics. With more households having a two-parent income, more time is spent away from children, which often leads to less stringent supervision and discipline. Curious minds will wander, and if they are not armed with the correct information, children could easily fall into some pretty tempting traps.

Begin discussions with your children early on about basic concepts like peer pressure, bullies, trust, honesty, physical health, etc. Discuss these topics as young as Kindergarten if you feel it is appropriate, and be sure to use age-appropriate language. Do not lecture, but make it more of an open discussion. For instance, you might ask if your child likes all the children in their class, are there any mean kids, is your child trying to be nice to everyone, etc. Their answers may provide a springboard for further discussion.

For instance, if your child expresses concern about one child’s mean behavior, further probing may uncover what exactly the child is doing to create that image. It could open up a discussion about how not everyone behaves nicely and does the right thing at all times. Encourage your child to seek “nice” friends, while trying to be nice to the “mean” children, without imitating their behavior. Explain that it is OK to tell an adult if the “mean” child is hurting someone or behaving inappropriately. It is important to build trust with adults, but especially in parent-child relationships so the child will feel comfortable discussing anything with the parent at any time.

Most important throughout the school years is to be inquisitive. Ask your child about their day and listen for verbal cues that they are unhappy, frustrated or otherwise upset about something. Try to encourage them to open up and talk about it with you. Encourage and praise their successes, within reason, to build self-esteem. An open parent-child relationship and healthy self-esteem are strong deterrents against negative peer pressure, the leading cause of school-age drug use.

Try to engage in physical activity as a family. It could be anything from hiking to swimming to biking around the neighborhood. Not only will this be a bonding experience to encourage discussion, honesty and trust within the family, but it will also foster an appreciation of physical health. If parents work hard to forge an open, honest relationship with their child, then the child will very likely feel comfortable asking questions in the future. When these questions begin, or whenever the parent feels the time is right and the child is mature enough, talk could sway toward drugs and their negative health effects. Discussion about drugs could begin with generalities, with encouragement for the child to feel free to approach the parent(s) if they have any more questions about drugs in the future. Sometimes a parent may be afraid to discuss their own experiences with drug use, for fear of appearing hypocritical. However, focusing on the negative consequences of the drug use and any drug rehab experiences will be an effective use of that history.

Crystal meth first soared in popularity in the 1960’s, valued for its intense, powerful and addictive high. Its popularity continued for two decades until cocaine became more popular in the 1980’s, virtually erasing crystal meth from the drug scene completely. Now, crystal meth is back with a vengeance.
The following information lists some facts about the drug:

• Crystal meth sent 138,950 Americans to the emergency room in 2005.
• Crystal meth is manufactured using common household items like Coleman’s fuel, red phosphorus from matchbook strips and pseudoephedrine from cold medicines.
• The duration and intensity of a crystal meth high is unpredictable, as there is no set formula for cooking crystal meth.
• Crystal meth is commonly known as a cheap, easy drug.
• Crystal meth is typically smoked or injected.
• Its high is nearly immediate and can last up to 24 hours.
• A University of Michigan survey showed that about 5 percent of high school seniors used crystal meth once in their lifetime and 3 percent used it within the year preceding the study.
• Crystal meth is also known by the following street names: super ice, crysty, tina, hot ice, stovetop, quartz, L.A. glass, L.A. ice, crystal glass, blade and shards
• Crystal meth does take on an ice-like appearance.
• Crystal meth can cause increased heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure, stroke, convulsions, violent tendencies, paranoia, anxiety, confusion, extreme insomnia, long-term psychosis (even after the user has stopped using the drug), liver and kidney disease, collapsed veins, pneumonia and even death.
• About $100 worth of household materials will create about $1,000 worth of methamphetamine.
• The ingredient ratios within methamphetamine vary greatly, depending on the cook. There are no set recipes dictating the amounts to be used. Meth cooks are typically new and inexperienced, and are often high while creating a new batch of the drug. All of these factors mean the process of cooking meth can be very explosive. It has been a cause in many devastating building fires that caused damage to people or property.
• Crystal meth creates a sensation of bugs crawling under the skin. This leads meth users to constantly scratch and pick at their skin, causing scabs and sores.
• Meth labs have moved from rural areas to more metropolitan areas and even affluent subdivisions, from roadside motels to upscale hotels.
• Methamphetamine is harmful to the teeth. It eats away at them and causes them to rot. This creates a ghastly appearance known as “meth mouth.”
• Meth can afect a person’s libido and their ability to reproduce.
• Just as with crack cocaine, babies can be born addicted to meth if their mother used the drug while carrying the child in the womb.
• Meth is commonly used by athletes to heighten their endurance and physical performance, by blue collar workers to enable longer work hours and thus more income, and especially by partygoers to enhance the dance club experience.
• Because of its highly addictive qualities, meth has developed a reputation for capturing addicts after only one use. However, drug rehab or 12-step programs designed specifically for meth addicts can help a person overcome this difficult addiction.

Crystal meth is one of the most addictive, and thus one of the most dangerous drugs. The dangers of the drug may not be fully known to people who try it for the first time at the urging of friends. The drug’s destructive potential may not be fully realized until it is far too late, addiction has set in and life has taken a sinister turn down a seemingly hopeless path.

First and foremost, crystal meth poses a danger in the way it is manufactured. This process exposes not only the cooks, but innocent bystanders like pets and children, to harmful toxins emitted during the meth cooking and waste disposal phases. The ingredients are extremely toxic and highly explosive when combined. This is why there are a considerable number of building fires connected to meth lab explosions. Unfortunately, it is not unusual for children to be near these homemade labs, and high-powered firearms are also usually found near the labs. It is truly a dangerous situation.

Also known as “hillbilly crack,” crystal meth is typically cooked with common, inexpensive, household ingredients. About $100 dollars of materials can create at least $1,000 worth of the poisonous drug. There is no set recipe dictating the amount of ingredients to be used. Cooking formulas are instead passed around amongst friends and family, and the cooks may or may not be experienced or even high during the cooking process.

Meth lab waste is often simply dumped on the ground, where it can pollute the groundwater. Furthermore, since the homemade labs typically use only approximate ingredient measurements that vary each time, there are no guarantees on the potency, effects or dangers of the drug at any given time.

Crystal meth labs are very volatile and can wreak havoc in the form of chemical explosions and fires that can obliterate entire structures. Such occurrences have happened often, frequently causing death or bodily injury in the process. This puts not only the drug user in danger, but any neighbors as well, particularly in apartments and hotels.

Other physical dangers associated with using crystal meth include:

• Extreme weight loss
• Extreme insomnia
• Unnatural, heightened state of mental and physical arousal that keeps users awake for days on end.
• Appetite loss
• Rotting teeth
• Destruction of skin tissue and blood vessels
• Acne, sores and burns
• Dull hair
• Lowered inhibitions
• Possibly engaging in risky sexual behavior like unprotected sex
• Possible loss of interest in sex altogether
• Sharing of needles while injecting the drug can transfer disease

The greatest danger of crystal meth use is that the person will never be coherent or cognizant enough to understand what the drug is doing to their life and admit the need for help. Drug rehab can help this addiction, as well as a number of 12-step programs designed specifically for meth addicts. No matter how desperate the picture may seem at any given time, crystal meth addiction can be overcome.

Crystal meth is also known as “ice.” The drug was first manufactured by a Japanese chemist in 1919. It was widely considered a treatment for symptoms of depression and other afflictions. Crystal meth is essentially the rock-like form of amphetamines, formed by slight changes in the ingredients and amounts used in the cooking formula for the regular, non-crystal form of methamphetamine.

The manufacturing of crystal meth first gained popularity in Hawaii in the 1960’s. Earlier in the 20th century, methamphetamine and crystal meth were completely legal, frequently prescribed by doctors and even abused as a substitute for alcohol during Prohibition. After some time, the drug fell under suspicion and was outlawed, labeled as dangerous and harmful.

Crystal meth creates a euphoric high, which has contributed to its common reputation as a party drug. Crystal meth is also sometimes combined with Viagra to enhance the sexual experience. The legal form of amphetamines, often prescribed for disorders like narcolepsy or attention deficit disorder, is typically odorless. Crystal meth and methamphetamine, however, do have an ammonia smell.

The ingredients of crystal meth are common, household ingredients like lithium strips from batteries or ephedrine extracted from cold medicine. For this reason, along with the fact that crystal meth is so potent and powerful, crystal meth addictions have plagued increasing numbers of families and communities across the United States over the years. The seriousness of the problem led the United States Congress to impose stricter penalties on methamphetamine manufacturing and trafficking. In another preventative measure, Congress approved a bill that requires medicines containing ephedrine to be sold behind the counter, with purchasers required to show ID and sign a logbook.

Methamphetamine and crystal meth are often cooked in home laboratories. This is an extremely dangerous process because the cooks may be inexperienced or high, there is no set recipe dictating ingredient amounts and the ingredients are highly explosive. About $100 worth of materials can create about $1,000 worth of meth. Home meth labs, once limited to poorer, rural areas and roadside motels, are cropping up increasingly in affluent areas and upscale hotels. It is dangerous to those exposed to the lab fumes, which often includes children, and it is dangerous for the environment. One pound of meth creates up to six pounds of toxic waste, which is typically dumped on the ground, where it can seep into groundwater.

The non-crystal form of the drug has a brown or off-white wet powder consistency, almost the color of peanut butter. The crystal form is a rock-like substance, and both types are typically inhaled, ingested, smoked or injected. Methamphetamine is extremely detrimental on the body, from paranoia and nervousness to out-of-control sexual urges and rotting teeth. It is a highly addictive drug, both physically and psychologically. It creates a rush of energy lasting up to 30 minutes, and is typically consumed in a binge period where the energy will continue for days on end. Meth labs are often located alongside high-powered firearms, a combination that creates a very dangerous and explosive potential.

Crack cocaine is an extremely powerful stimulant, widely considered one of the most powerful and addictive illegal drugs on the street. Lab tests have shown that monkeys develop an extreme, obsessive addiction to the drug very quickly. Children as young as 12 years of age have called national drug abuse hotlines in desperation over crack cocaine addiction. The drug reached the height of its popularity in the 1980’s. During that time, there were users across all social and economic stratas, from businessmen to street junkies.

Crack cocaine is created by boiling the powder form of cocaine in a liquid mixture consisting of water, ammonia and baking soda. The powder is boiled until it turns into a hard substance, which can then be dried out and smoked. During the cooking process, the drug makes a crackling sound, thus the name crack. The drug has the appearance of large white or off-white rocks, and it produces an immediate, intense, euphoric effect.

The effects of crack cocaine are more intense because of the fact that the drug is typically smoked. The inhalation of crack smoke into the lungs has a much more immediate and intense effect than snorting, which is the typical method used with regular powder cocaine. Despite this, the high from crack cocaine typically lasts a much shorter amount of time than the high from powder cocaine. It lasts up to 15 minutes, whereas a high from powder cocaine can last up to 30 minutes.

In 2005, more than 7 million Americans ages 12 or older reported using crack cocaine at least once in their lifetime. About four percent of U.S. high school seniors reported using crack at least once in their life, and about one-fourth of that group reported having used it within the last month. Cocaine is a $35 billion industry, now the most profitable exported product for the country of Colombia.

Crack cocaine can cause extreme paranoia and aggression, and even delusional psychosis akin to schizophrenia. Because the drug involves smoking, it has been linked to severe respiratory problems, such as coughing, shortness of breath, lung trauma and even bleeding. Crack cocaine can also cause constricted blood vessels, increased temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, and increases the risk of cardiac arrest and seizure. The average federal sentence for low-level crack dealers and first-time offenders is 10 years and six months, 18 percent less than the average sentence for murder.

Crack cocaine affects not only the user, but the user’s friends and family as well. It is such an all-consuming obsession that it also increases the risk of homelessness, spousal and child abuse, violent crimes and welfare dependency. It is an aggression causing drug and people become obsessed with doing anything necessary to feed the addiction. This means robbery, petty theft and shoplifting, burglary and even murder. These actions can be directed toward strangers or loved ones. The aggression is often taken out on those people the addict is closest to. A crack cocaine addiction renders a person unemployable, which prevents them from being a productive member of society. It may seem there is no way out of the addiction, but trained professionals at a drug rehab facility can help.

Crack cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs available on the street, and thus among the most dangerous. High doses of crack cocaine can cause delusional thinking, paranoia or even acute toxic psychosis. The drug is nearly always associated with the violent, extremely aggressive, hair trigger temper behavior that it causes in most people. Crack, the crystallized rock form of cocaine, is almost always smoked. It is affordable and offers an immediate and short-lived euphoric effect. The euphoric “high” is followed by an equally extreme “low” period filled with depression. The desire to obtain that quickie high again and rid oneself of the depressive feelings is why crack cocaine is so highly addictive.

Cocaine is largely imported illegally from countries like Peru and Colombia. It has become quite a large trade across South, Central and North America. The prevalence of crack has made the drug more affordable and accessible for younger users and less affluent users. In fact, children as young as 12 have called drug-free hotlines in despair over crack addiction. This addiction is a scary phenomenon that hurts not only the addicts, but those around them who are exposed to their odd behavior.

Because crack smoke is absorbed almost instantly through the lungs, the drug poses one of the most serious threats to the physical body. Crack users are three times more likely than powder cocaine users to suffer brain seizures. The early signs of crack use include a chronic sore throat and shortness of breath, and crack users also have an increased risk of emphysema. In addition to respiratory problems, there are many cardiovascular problems that result from crack use as well. The effects of crack cocaine include restricted blood vessels and elevated blood pressure, which make it more likely that crack cocaine users will suffer a heart attack.

Behaviorally, crack cocaine can lead to psychotic, hyperactive and violent actions. It can even trigger a psychosis filled with anger, suspicion and paranoia that resembles schizophrenia. The drug puts others at risk of physical danger as much as the actual crack addict. When the effect of the high wears off, the user will experience a “crash” that may include such symptoms as depression, fatigue, fear and anxiety.

Other possible consequences of crack use include strokes, seizures and other neurological episodes. Insomnia can result from the continual adrenaline rush and euphoric high that crack creates. The drug also causes nausea and headaches, and affects a person’s sexual functioning and reproductive ability. Crack cocaine use by pregnant women can cause premature birth, still birth, miscarriage, or developmental issues like hearing or vision impairment. Worse still, the baby will very likely be born with a crack addiction. These “crack babies” are terribly sad cases, as they must endure the horrible symptoms of drug withdrawal in their first days of life, when their bodies are most fragile. Drug rehab can help a person recover from their crack addiction. It is a tough battle, but one that is very worthwhile.

In 2005, about 7.9 million Americans aged 12 or older reported using the rock form of cocaine, also known as crack cocaine. The powder version is essentially a hydrochloride salt form that has been neutralized with the use of acid. The rock version is formed by boiling a mixture of ingredients with powder cocaine until a solid substance is formed. When heated in a crack pipe, the vapors from the drug can be inhaled into the lungs. This gives the user a faster high than that associated with powder cocaine.

A crack high appears nearly instantly, while a cocaine high appears after about five minutes. A crack high is very euphoric, lasting five to 10 minutes. Because a crack high appears so quickly and is so intense, it is one of the most addictive illegal drugs on the street. The crack high does disappear faster than the cocaine high, however. This leads to a serious depression-filled “low” period that follows the high. It leads addicts to want to run out and find more crack cocaine at any cost to rid themselves of the low feeling. The drug becomes an all-consuming obsession.

The word “crack” comes from the way the drug makes a crackling sound when heated. This highly addictive stimulant drug causes a variety of physical effects, including:

• a tightening of the blood vessels
• pupil dilation
• an increase in temperature
• an increase in blood pressure
• elevated heart rate.
• Shortness of breath
• Chronic sore throat
• Muscle spasms

The drug also causes overstimulation of the body’s sensory nerves and reduces feelings of physical exhaustion. Of course, every high is followed by a crash. After a cocaine high wears off, the user may experience:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Intense cravings for more crack
• Irritability
• Agitation
• Exhaustion
• Anger

Other names for crack cocaine include Lady Snow, Lady Caine, Merk, Henry VIII, Blow, Corrine, Angie and Cecil. Alcohol consumption combined with crack use is a dangerous and potentially fatal combination. The two can combine in the liver to produce the harmful substance cocaethylene. The creation of cocaethylene leads to a more intense high, but it also greatly increases the risk of death. Cocaine is also very dangerous because it has the potential to create such violent tendencies in users. It not only endangers the user, but those around the user. A crack addict cannot work, so must resort to robbery, theft or other criminal acts to find money to buy more of the drug. They will stop at nothing to feed the habit, even if it means putting a loved one in harm’s way.
Treatment for crack cocaine addiction is possible, but may require a 6- to 12-month stay in some form of drug rehab, depending on the severity of the addiction. Any extenuating circumstances, like co-occurring psychological disorders requiring treatment, will also have a bearing on the length of stay. Deciding to quit using crack is the toughest and most courageous thing a person will do, and it is well worth the fight for a healthier life.