The Different Types Of Alcohol Screening Available

By Author: Clara Heisler
Total Articles: 20
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Alcohols screening is used as part of pre-employment process, current employee check-ups and even for DUI determination. There are various devices out there, some you can even buy in drug stores, over the counter. Here are some of them and their specific uses.

The first one to be discussed is the blood alcohol testing. This can determine the percentage of how much a person is impaired by the alcohol. This is based on a study, which states that blood alcohol concentration is directly correlated to the judgments and reaction impairment of an individual. The method being used for blood alcohol concentration is known as gas chromatography. This process, although very accurate and effective, is often neglected by businesses for it can be quite expensive.

Another type of alcohol testing is breath alcohol testing. As the name suggests, the amount of alcohol in the body system is measured through exhalation. The science behind this is that during inhalation, gas is exchanged from the lungs to the blood and the exhalation does the opposite. That is why you can smell alcohol from the breath of a person.

There are ...
... three categories of breath alcohol testers out in the market today. You can use alcohol screening by means of disposable devices, although these cannot provide forensic results. You can also opt for evidential breath testing devices and non-evidential handheld devices.

Most companies go for urine testing for the alcohol screening of their employees. This is chosen not because of its effectiveness but because it is a lot cheaper. Urine testing does not give the current state of the body since alcohol only shows up in the urine about 1 ½ up to 2 hours of drinking. Also, urine alcohol indication varies from person to person for it depends on the rate of metabolism.

Lastly, there is also saliva alcohol screening. There are already disposable saliva alcohol testers you can purchase over the counter. This is another cheap way to determine alcohol concentration although it is not very accurate. The chemicals of the saliva interfere with the results. The temperature also interferes with the result making it even more unreliable.