Forensic Drug Testing

Dalman Investigations

Forensic Drug Testing - Hair

Up to 3 - Month Drug History vs. 3 days for Urine

Easy to collect, ship and store
Difficult to alter
No risk of infection
A 1 1/2 inch specimen represents approximently three months of hair growth and therefore three months of history of drug exposure.

Types of Narcotics that can be found:

Drug Panels:

5-drug panel: Amphetamines, cannabinoids (Marijuana), cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine (PCP)

7-drug panel: Above 5-drugs plus benzodiazepines and barbiturates

9-drug panel: Above 7-drugs plus methadone and propoxyphene

12-drug panel: Above 9-drugs plus meperidine, tramadol and oxycodone

14-drug panel: 12-drugs above plus fentanyl and sufentanil

Traditionally, urine has been used as the specimen for drug testing.

However, there are numerous products available which are designed to render a urine drug test unaccurate such as: UrineLuck, UrineAir, Gluteraldehyde, oxidants, nitrites, as well as the dilution of the specimen by the donor with tap or toilet water.

Anyone with internet access can locate products online to fool urine tests, like those located at:

http://www.pretestedurine.com/index2.htm or http://www.ureasample.com/.

Hair offers a much longer history of drug exposure and is an excellent specimen for pre-employment, criminal, civil or even child custody cases.

Accuracy and Legal Acceptability

Courts in jurisdictions throughout the United States have recognized the value of confirmed drug analysis in hair and have admitted such analysis as evidence.

In criminal cases such as Alaska v Richard Majdic (1982) or People v Miel (CA 1985), hair analysis have been used to gain convictions when urine tests were negative.

Similarly, civil cases such as Koch vs. Harrahs (Nevada 1990) and Holmes vs. Hotel San Reno (Nevada 1993) confirmed that hair drug analysis were acceptable for pre-employment testing and in unemployment disputes.

In a recent employment case, Hicks v City of New York, the Supreme Court of the State of New York upheld the termination of three officers through the use of hair analysis drug testing.