What is a mouth swab drug test? How it is important for drivers?

A common screening test used to detect certain substances in a person’s body is a mouth swab drug test. They are becoming a popular alternative method for drug testing. This type of drug testing is often preferred over urine tests. They are easier to administer when compared to a urine test. It can also be collected in full view of the individual administering the test. A mouth swab drug test is virtually impossible to alter in any way.

A mouth swab drug test is often used by law enforcement. This is a preferred method of roadside testing when compared to a blood test or breathalyzer. Blood tests used in DUI cases are inefficient. It can also take several weeks for law enforcement to get the results. A breathalyzer test only detects alcohol and does not detect the presence of drugs in a person’s system.

When someone has a mouth swab test, it could show the presence of an illegal drug in a person’s system. Further testing could show they are over the legal limit for alcohol consumption. This will result in a person being arrested. It is likely they will then be required to attend a bond hearing. A judge could award them bail, and they can then get out of jail. If they are unable to pay the bail amount required by the court, they may still be able to get out of jail. A person can contact a bail bond company who can arrange for their bail to be paid at a reasonable cost to them.

An absorbent pad or sponge on the end of a stick is used. It is then placed in a person’s mouth and the inside of an individual’s cheek is swabbed. It is designed to detect if traces of a particular substance are present. How long this process takes will be based on certain factors. The result can be obtained in a lab or on-site. The collection time usually takes less than three minutes on-site. It is then possible to know the results in a few minutes. Getting the results could take up to 24 hours if it is sent to a laboratory for analysis.

A mouth swab drug test can be used to detect different substances in an individual’s saliva. What is detected will be based on the test being utilized. They can be used to test for individual substances or a combination of them. There are some common substances they are used to detect.

*Alcohol
*Amphetamines
*Phencyclidine (PCP)
*Methamphetamine
*Cannabis (THC)
*Barbiturates
*Opioids
*Benzodiazepines

A driver does have the right to not submit to a mouth swab drug test. Law enforcement does not have the authority to make a driver take such a test. A law enforcement officer can only request a driver take a drug test. This will be based on a suspicion of the driver being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If a driver does refuse, a law enforcement officer can still arrest the person. Once arrested, a person will be required to take a blood test.

A mouth swab drug test can reveal if drugs are present in a driver’s system. This test is unable to determine the level of drugs utilized by the driver. A blood test is the most effective way to determine the amount of a particular drug in a person’s system. Should a driver have a positive drug test, the law enforcement agency won’t know the number of drugs in a driver’s system until they see the results of a blood test.

Many people want to know how to deal with identity theft and what does it mean when a mouth swab drug test turns blue. When a sample’s quantity is sufficient for testing, the saliva’s drug test window turns blue. This decreases the need to guess if more oral fluid needs to be collected for testing. It influences how long this process takes.

After testing positive many people want to know how does the mouth swab test work and if it could be wrong. This type of testing is over 97 percent accurate. It is considered easy and effective. A mouth swab drug test is painless. Unfortunately, most substances it is used to test don’t stay long in a person’s oral fluids. It is only good for detecting recent drug or alcohol use.