We were given wavers to sign because the school will conduct random drug testing. I have no qualms about it because I've never really been a fan of drug abuse, so it will be okay if I'll be randomly checked. I won't feel like it would invade my privacy or something. I sign the paper right away and I thought that this would help my fellow youth who are struggling with addiction; they would be one step closer to rehabilitating themselves.
The 60s era is most famous for The Beatles and of course, its hippie lifestyle. Ever heard of "Flower Power"? Or "The Summer of Love" perhaps? If not, oh my, you're missing a lot on your pop-culture history.
Anyway, if you watch a lot of History Channel, they say that it is during the 60s when drug abuse and drug overdose are most common. The drugs are freely available if you ask the right person or if you know the right persons. The hippies love to experiment on different kinds of hallucinogenic drugs. It is during this era that the motto "Drugs, sex and rock and roll" was coined. That is why a lot has been documented and said about the 60s.
Why am I writing about these nice-to-know facts about the 60s? Because I'm going to delve on Metamphetamine Testing.
The initial test would be nonspecific which would allow a rapid yes or no answer. If the patient tested positive, the testing will move on to a confirmatory test which is the GC/MS.
The most effective way to test for metamphetamines is by Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry.
Urine is the specimen of choice instead of serum because you can detect both the parent drug and the metabolites in the urine.
The specimen is extracted and to maximize the ability to detect substances, the extract is concentrated. The sample is injected into the system.
On the basis of the GC trace, identification of specific materials can be made but confirmation is still required.
A second injection is done into the chromatograph and the eluted fractions are then routed through a mass spectrometer.
Fragmentation of the molecules in each peak takes place and the charged particles pass through the magnetic field.
The data obtained from the fragmentation analysis is stored in a computer and processed for maximum information.
However, there are precautions that must be observed especially when obtaining a sample. The confidentiality of COC must be highly observed. And the ASC must make sure that the patient to be tested does not alter his urine in anyway, otherwise it would be a waste of time, money and effort to test for something that is not correct from the start.
*Hippies pics came from HERE, HERE and HERE.
