Alcohol is a factor in many categories of injury. Alcohol intoxication is frequently associated with injuries from falls, fires, drowning, overdoses, physical and sexual abusements, occupational accidents, traffic accidents and domestic violence. In many instances, for forensic purpose, it may be necessary to establish whether the patients have consumed alcohol that would have been the reason for the injury/accidents. Combining rapidity and reliability, alcohol saliva strip test (AST) has been put forward for the detection of alcohol in saliva for blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
Now a days alcohol-attributable injuries and violence are of growing concern as alcohol is a factor in many categories of injury [1]. Each year it is responsible for about 2.3 million premature deaths worldwide. Injuries – both unintentional and intentional – account for more than a third of the burden of disease attributable to alcohol consumption. These include injuries from road traffic crashes, burns, poisoning, falls and drowning as well as violence against oneself or others. The impact of alcohol-related injuries affects not only those who are intoxicated at the time of injury occurrence, but also those who fall victim to their behavior [2,3]. Alcohol consumption has been steadily increasing in developing countries like India and decreasing in developed countries since the 1980’s [4]. At a snapshot, the scenario of alcohol consumers in India stands at greater than 62.5 millions during 1970’s that has increased by 106.7% over the 15-year period from 1970 to 1996 and continues to increase at the same pace to the present [5-7].
People drink at an earlier age than previously. The mean age of initiation of alcohol use has decreased from 23.36 years in 1950 to 1960 to 18.45 years in 2010. Changing social norms, urbanization, increased availability, high intensity mass marketing and relaxation of overseas trade rules along with poor level of awareness related to alcohol has contributed to increased alcohol use. This alcohol use was associated with 94% of incidents of self harm, 54% of non-specific, 47% of collapses, 50% of assaults, and 50% of patients admitted to hospital [5-7]. In many instances, for investigation purpose, it may be necessary to establish whether the patients/subjects have consumed alcohol that would have been the reason for the injury/accidents.
The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a direct measure of the alcohol level for various purposes like forensic, work place, medical and research settings; and several new technologies have been developed for estimating the same. The most preferable method for quantitative measurement of alcohol is gas chromatography for whole blood. However it is time consuming, expensive and requires skills in laboratory techniques. To date, noninvasive methods for quantitatively estimating BAC have primarily used breath testing/breathe meters. Although a breath analyzer provides a rapid result, it requires calibration on a regular basis and patient cooperation which may be difficult in combative or comatose patients [8]. Combining rapidity and reliability, alcohol saliva strip test (AST) has been put forward for the determination of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) by detecting alcohol in saliva which can be helpful in forensic investigations as an aid.
More employers than ever are starting to use drug testing equipment to make random checks on their employees – and for a variety of reasons. Whether you work in a sensitive environment or need to guarantee to your employer that you are keeping yourself healthy, there is every chance that you might experience a mouth swab test. To ensure you always pass a testing program, it’s important to understand how long a saliva drug test might go back in terms of time, and also ask a few other questions. How accurate are mouth swab drug tests when it comes to alcohol, how do they work, and how can you make sure you pass?
How does a saliva drug test work?
Saliva drug tests are used by many different employers, as well as the general authorities such as law enforcement officers. There are a few different methods that testers can use to check on the use of alcohol and drugs. The first is in a medical setting when a simple swab will be used to remove saliva from a subject’s mouth. The swab will then be sent to a lab for further testing, and researchers will identify whether a particular drug – alcohol, cocaine, marijuana and much more – has been taken by the subject. There are standalone testing kits available, too, which give instant results in a similar way to the pregnancy kits you see in your local pharmacy. Electronic tools are also on the market, which gives a straightforward reading on a display – again, these are instant results.
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How far back do saliva drug tests go?
You’re probably wondering how far back does a saliva drug test go in terms of time after your last drink, and how long is THC in your saliva for after you have been smoking marijuana. Well, the truth is that it can vary wildly. You can ask yourself the question of how accurate are saliva drug tests all you like, but, ultimately, it all boils down to time, your body, and the frequency of your use. However, there are a few standards that can give you a rough guide of what to expect. In short, both alcohol and marijuana can be detected by a mouth swab drug test after an hour. But, alcohol can often be undetectable for anything between 6-12 hours, while marijuana can be present in mouth swabs between 12-24 hours. So, are saliva drug tests accurate? Yes, but time is also a critical factor.
How accurate is a saliva drug test?
As we mentioned above, when you ask yourself how accurate are swab drug tests in detecting alcohol in your system, it’s important to understand that if you don’t drink for 24 hours before your test, you will likely pass. However, if you have had a drink or two, and get a test request within that critical period, the swab tests can be incredibly accurate. In fact, according to researchers, saliva tests can be just as accurate as invasive blood tests, which is one of the primary reasons why they are so popular with employers – and the authorities.