EtG Alcohol Test

If you are going through a divorce and fear for the safety of your children when in the custody of your spouse or ex-spouse due to a known alcohol problem, Health Street can help. The best practice is to come to an agreement to test for the presence of alcohol on a set periodic basis, or on a random basis, depending on your situation. There are 6 factors to consider when crafting a drug or alcohol testing agreement during a divorce. Health Street can help manage the testing once the parties have come to an understanding about such matters as:

When someone consumes alcohol (ethanol), the body metabolizes it at the rate of approximately one drink per 90 minutes. However, once the alcohol is gone, a side product of the body's metabolization, known as ethyl glucuronide, remains. This metabolite stays in the urine for about 3 days after the consumption of alcohol. Therefore, EtG tests should be ordered to check if someone has had any alcohol at all over a specific, extended time period. Since these tests look back 3 days, it is appropriate in certain situations, such as: when a parent with a known alcohol problem has had custody of children for the weekend; when a recovering alcoholic has returned from rehab and needs to be tested on an ongoing basis; when a college student agrees with his or her parents to remain alcohol free and get tested randomly.

One size does not fit all when it comes to alcohol testing. The version of the test that you choose should be based on your unique circumstances. Alcohol, unlike illegal substances, is permitted and fully legal in many circumstances, but not in others. As an employer, it is important to order the right test so as not to accidentally trample on your employees' legal rights to consume alcohol on their own time. If you're testing for private reasons, it's also vital to know which alcohol test best suits your needs.

The Basic Urine Alcohol Test is a less expensive test ($77) and does not screen for EtG at all. Rather, it tests only for "ethanol." In other words, it's looking for the actual presence of alcohol in the bloodstream, rather than a metabolite that might last longer than the alcohol itself. Once the actual alcohol has been excreted, it is no longer detectable by this basic test. This test is generally known to look back at the last 12 hours, but the timeframe can vary somewhat from person to person depending on the amount of alcohol consumed and other factors.

The EtG Urine Alcohol Test primarily focuses on detecting ethyl glucuronide (EtG), which is a metabolite produced by the body when alcohol is consumed. However, we offer additional EtG packages that can include drug panels such as the 5 panel, 10 panel, and more. These expanded packages are ideal for situations where concerns regarding drug use are also present.

The ethyl glucuronide metabolite remains in the urine for about three days after consuming alcohol.