According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., at least 80% of the nation's inmates are substance abusers of drugs or alcohol. Close to 50 percent of them are addicts and 60 percent of inmates tested positive for some type of drug in their system at the time of their arrest. A test to determine whether someone in your life is using drugs allows you to make informed decisions about money, living arrangements and relationships. Drug Tests Over-the-counter drug tests detect substances in urine. Different tests look for different drugs, with the most comprehensive being a five-panel test that detects marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and opiates-which include prescription pain pills, heroin, morphine and methadone. Tests for Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, etc.) are typically sold as a separate test. Cleansing kits can be purchased at retail stores that mask the substances for a few hours, allowing the drug user to pass a test even though he/she has been using. In addition, a small vial of a friend's clean urine can easily be hidden in the restroom or on the body prior to a test. Effective Testing Taking the following steps to ensure a true urine sample from the person being tested helps protect test's integrity, which means the result is probably accurate if you follow the test directions.

• Give zero warning that the test is coming. Announcing that the person will have to pass a drug test every Friday evening gives him plenty of time to head to the local vitamin shop and buy a cleansing kit. Never knowing when the test is going to be brought out makes it more difficult to cheat it.

• Test first thing in the morning. As soon as he/she awakens, ask him/her to take the test. Anything they have done the past few days/weeks and in many cases the night before, will show up in that first morning urine. Waiting until they are halfway through the day gives them the chance to take steps to cheat the test.
• Check the restroom before they wake up. Addicts become experts at hiding things, such as a vial of clean urine donated by a friend. Check inside the toilet tank, the space between the tank and the wall, under the bathroom sink, and in cabinets. Don't just look at the box of tampons, open the box to be sure a small container of urine is not hidden in the box.
• Follow him/her to the restroom. If he/she leaves the room without you before accompanying you to the bathroom and taking the test, cancel the test until another time. This ensures he has not retrieved hidden urine elsewhere. Insist the door remain open a few inches during the test so he/she cannot use tap water to dilute the test.