CANSFORD LABS

Which substances can hair testing detect?

Feb 20, 2017

The short answer is: hair strand testing can detect alcohol and drugs of almost any kind, from cocaine and opiates to cannabinoids and new psychoactive substances. The longer answer is - as always - somewhat more nuanced. While it is true that any ingested substance that makes its way into the bloodstream will be subsequently detectable on hair fibres, this casts a very wide net indeed - and it’s getting wider all the time.  

As such, the parameters for hair testing can be set as narrowly or as extensively as required. Although a hair test could detect the use of antibiotics or legal supplements, the results would have no consequence in the family courts

Setting parameters for detection and prosecution should be guided by the discretion of the lawyer and professionalism of the laboratory, to capture a substance profile that is both accurate and meaningful. 

Are there any drugs that hair testing can’t detect? 

As all drugs have a different chemical makeup, the ease and technique of detection will naturally vary from substance to substance. 

For example, cocaine has a relatively low detection cut-off, and the toxicological process of detecting some drugs is more complicated than others. Similarly, if levels of ingestion are extremely low, detection can be more difficult, sometimes requiring other evidential factors to build an accurate case picture. Acidic drugs such as THC carboxylic acid - produced by the metabolism of THC - do not bind as firmly to the hair fibres, requiring a greater sensitivity of the instrument to detect. 

Lastly, hair testing generally focuses on the detection of substances that have been ingested. Currently, hair tests for substances such as solvents, or nitrous oxide (laughing gas) are not routinely performed by laboratories - although that is not to say they will not be in the future. 

Detection windows in hair drug and alcohol testing

A drug test with hair is used to ascertain drug and alcohol use over a longer time frame than, for example, blood or urine testing. While the latter two methods will determine whether a subject is currently under the influence or has used drugs within 24 or 48 hours, this is not possible with hair testing: metabolites will take up to a week to enter the hair shaft. 

What hair testing can detect, however, is the presence or absence of drugs and metabolites used over a period from one week ago to, for example, up to 12 months prior. It can make a clear distinction between casual use and chronic, sustained addiction, thereby providing a picture of an individual’s substance history over the last year. 

What types of drugs do courts commonly need accredited labs to test for? 

Cocaine group: Benzoylecgonine, Cocaine, Cocaethylene, Norcocaine 

According to Statistics on Drug Misuse 2018, cocaine use in England and Wales is higher than any other European country included in the study, with men twice as likely as women to use it. 

Opiates group: 6-Acetylmorphine, Codeine, Dihydrocodeine, Morphine, Heroin 

Opiates are by far the largest drug group likely to result in contact with drug and alcohol services. In the UK, with nearly 24 million opioids prescribed in 2017, the NHS has been accused of “creating drug addicts”. 

Methadone group: Methadone, EDDP 

The mother and ex-partner of 4-year-old Poppy Widdison were jailed for a combined 13 years after hair tests revealed she had ingested a mixture of drugs - including methadone - prior to her death. 

Tramadol group: Tramadol, Desmethyl Tramadol 

A commonly prescribed painkiller, in the UK the number of Tramadol deaths nearly doubled between 2010 and 2014 alone.

Amphetamine group: Amphetamine

In the UK, deaths resulting from amphetamine use continue to increase

Benzodiazepines group: Diazepam, Nordiazepam, Lorazepam, Nitrazepam, Oxazepam, Temazepam 

Hair tests on 9-year-old Shannon Matthews in 2008 discovered she had ingested temazepam and travel sickness tablets in the months leading up to her faked abduction. 

Cannabinoids group: THC, Cannabinol, Cannabidiol, THC-Carboxylic Acid (THC-COOH)

2018 saw the highest estimate of UK cannabis users in nine years, with secondary school pupils more likely to use it than any other drug. 

Mephedrone group: Mephedrone

In January 2017, two men were jailed for sexual exploitation and supplying mephedrone to children under 16

Methamphetamine group: Methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA, MDEA, MBDB

Commonly known as ecstasy - according to the European Drugs Market Report 2016, use of MDMA is making a comeback. 

Ketamine group: Ketamine, Norketamine 

Police seizures of ketamine increased by 30% in 2018, sparking fears that more and more young people are using the drug. 

Alcohol markers: ETG, FAEE (Ethyl-Myristate, Ethyl-Oleate, Ethyl-Stearate, Ethyl-Palmitate) 

In England alone there are an estimated 589,101 dependent drinkers - and fewer than 20% are receiving treatment. 

The rise, fall - and rise again - of “legal highs”

Formerly known as “legal highs”, what we now refer to as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) are not so legal. Since the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, their production, sale and supply have been restricted.

At the time, experts predicted that this would simply shift these drugs from the high street to the dark web and the streets. And with certain areas of the UK reporting huge increases in ambulance callouts to deal with the fallout of spice and black mamba usage - as well as a Europol study revealing the UK to be one of Europe’s largest dark web NPS sellers - the problem clearly hasn’t gone away. 

The challenge - not just for drug testing laboratories, but for prison officers, lawyers and drug workers too - is that the number of NPS is ever-expanding, and when manufactured in unregulated laboratories, the composition of these substances is likely to vary wildly, too. 

Conclusion 

The list of substances that a drug test with hair can unveil is vast - and includes various drugs and their metabolites, as well as alcohol markers. However, the market is changing rapidly, with new drugs (and new variations on existing drugs) coming into the picture every year. For this reason, both lawyers and laboratories have a duty to stay up-to-date with the latest substances in circulation. 

However, by choosing a quality, accredited testing laboratory, you’ll ensure that the parameters of the hair test are set at a sensible level, that you are guided in the right direction and that the results are interpreted with accuracy and clarity, meaning that the effectiveness of hair testing in detecting virtually any substance is second to none. 

Our ebook - The complete guide to hair testing for drug & alcohol for Family Law - is available to download now. 

Cansford Labs’ specialist hair drug and alcohol testing laboratory is accredited to ISO 17025 Government Standard. For more information about our accreditations, click here.

Hair Testing Guide for Social Work

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