Laboratory Techniques

Drug testing has become increasingly common in American life. Passing a drug screening test has become a prerequisite for employment in many companies, and some school systems have instituted drug testing policies as a requirement for participation in extracurricular activities. Other categories of people who may commonly encounter drug testing (beyond the obvious categories of persons who are incarcerated and/or enrolled in a drug treatment program) include those serving in the military, who participate in organized sports, require treatment in an emergency room, or come into contact with law enforcement authorities, for instance, by being involved in an automobile accident. Additionally, lab tests for the presence of poisons (e.g., arsenic) or drugs of abuse are often performed as part of a medical examiner's investigation into ...