Hair Analysis As a Drug Detector

Hair Analysis As a Drug Detector discusses an NIJ-sponsored study of the viability and effectiveness of testing hair samples for drug use among probationers. Because urine testing of drug offenders is known to be particularly burdensome, a pilot study was developed to determine whether hair assays, which are noninvasive and have a larger window of detection, could be more effective. Over a 6-month period, volunteer probationers were tested for a variety of substances. Researchers tested for cocaine, opiates, marijuana, and other drugs. Among their findings: Hair analysis is a better indicator of cocaine use over an extended timeframe and can more accurately identify a chronic drug user; urineanalysis, on the other hand, better measure short-term exposure to cocaine; and urine analysis seems to be a better way to detect opiates, particularly the presence of codeine.