Comparision Chart
| | Urine Testing | Oral Fluids (Saliva) Testing |
| Possible Uses | Pre-employment testing, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion/cause, return-to-duty, follow-up. | Saliva testing may be most beneficial for post-accident and reasonable suspicion/cause situations and, to a lesser extent, random testing. |
| Window of Detection | - 4-36 hours (Cocaine, PCP, Opiates, Amphetamines)
- 4 hours – 30 days (THC)
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| Advantages | - Employer liability covered by the Alaska Statute.
- Alaska Supreme Court tested.
- Standard developed policies.
- Urine testing programs for non-DOT are similar to the federal DOT program and follow DHHS laboratory protocol.
- Laboratories are inspected by SAMHSA.
- Gold standard and nationally recognized method of testing.
- Proven history of reliability.
- Laboratory developed adulteration detection techniques.
- Statewide collection sites available.
| - Shorter up-front window of detection.
- All collections are monitored collections, with little to no chance of adulteration.
- Simple collection procedure with no requirement for same-gender collectors or specific collection site needs.
- No known successful court challenges.
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| Disadvantages | - Substitution/adulteration issues.
- Drug not detected until 4 hours after ingestion.
- Not a direct observation collection in most situations.
| - Shorter overall window of detection.
- Limited laboratory availability within the US for workplace testing and confirmation of NIDT.
- Laboratory not recognized by SAMHSA or DHHS for workplace saliva testing.
- No federal procedures in place to use as guideline.
- Limited trained collectors in Alaska.
- Not recognized by Alaska Statute.
- All positive saliva tests, whether by non-instrumented drug test devices or by laboratory based drug testing, must be confirmed using GC/MS or GC/MS MS confirmation testing.
- For saliva testing, there is no difference between heavy use and current use, unlike with urine testing where the marijuana may be detected for several weeks in a heavy user.
- Oral fluids testing may detect casual use up to 24 hours, in comparison with urine testing which may detect casual use for up to 72 hours.
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