The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has published a list of commonly abused substances, including their detection periods. This information can be used to help determine if you have been using drugs.
The NIDA drug testing period lists the number of days after you use the drug that it will show positive results for that substance in a urinalysis test. The NIDA drug testing period is not an exact science because there are many factors affecting how long the urine remains detectable after you use the drug. But despite its shortcomings, NIDA drug testing is still an easy means for fairly accurate drug testing. If anyone has consumed any substance then it is sure that it will appear on the drug test. For gaining additional information, you can visit https://www.deccanherald.com/ and can find details in form of news about the importance of this testing period.
Alcohol
- 0-2 hours: 0-30 minutes
- 1-2 hours: 30 minutes – 2 hours
- 3-6 hours: 1 hour – 6 hours
- 7-12 hours: 3 hours – 12 hours
- More than 24 hours: 7 hours or longer
This means that alcohol will remain detectable in your system up to two hours after you last had a drink. If you have recently consumed alcohol, wait at least two hours before you take a drug test.
Cocaine
- Immediate: 0 minutes
- 15 minutes: 15 minutes – 2 hours
- 2-4 hours: 45 minutes – 8 hours
- 8-24 hours: 8 hours – 24 hours
- 48+ hours: 8 hours +
This means that cocaine will still show as positive if you have used the drug within the first 15 minutes of taking a drug test. It will also show positive even if you have only used the drug once, but wait more than 48 hours between your last use and taking the test.
Heroin
- Immediate: 0 minutes
- 2 hours: 2 hours – 4 hours
- 6-12 hours: 6 hours – 12 hours
- 24-72 hours: 24 hours – 72 hours
- 96+ hours: 96+ hours
There is no known detection time for heroin, so when you take a drug test, you should expect to test positive for traces of this illegal drug. Heroin is very detectable in the body, which means that most people who abuse this drug tend to pass a drug test.
Marijuana
- Immediate: 1 minute
- 5 minutes: 5 minutes – 15 minutes
- 15 minutes – 1 hour: 15 minutes – 60 minutes
- 60 minutes – 2 hours: 60 minutes – 120 minutes
- 120 minutes – 4 hours: 120 minutes – 240 minutes
- 240 minutes – 6 hours: 240 minutes – 360 minutes
- 360 minutes +: More than 6 hours
This means that marijuana is detectable for about three to six hours after you last smoked the drug. If you plan to smoke marijuana prior to taking a drug test, wait at least five minutes to ensure that you get a negative result.
Opiate Analgesics
- Immediate: Immediate
- 1-2 hours: 1 hour – 2 hours
- 3-6 hours: 3 hours – 6 hours
- More than 6 hours: 6 hours +
In addition to morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other opiates, these drugs are detectable for up to 96 hours after you stop taking them.
Tobacco Products
- Immediate: Immediate
- 1 hour: 1 hour – 1 hour
- 2-6 hours: 2 hours – 6 hours
- 8-24 hours: 8 hours – 24 hours
- 48+ hours: 48+ hours
This means that tobacco products will be detectable for up to 48 hours after you last smoked a cigarette. If you plan to smoke cigarettes before taking a drug test, wait at least one hour before taking a drug test.
Amphetamines
- Immediate: Immediate
- 1-2 hours: 1 hour – 2 hours
- 3-6 hours: 3 hours – 6 hours
- 9-18 hours: 9 hours – 18 hours
- 21-36 hours: 21 hours – 36 hours
- 42+ hours: 42+ hours
This means that amphetamine is still detectable up to 48 hours after you last used the drug. If you plan to use amphetamines before taking a drug test, wait at least one hour before you take the test.
Barbiturates
- Immediate: Immediate
- 2-10 hours: 2 hours – 10 hours
- 12-20 hours: 12 hours – 20 hours
- 24-32 hours: 24 hours – 32 hours
- 48+ hours: 48+ hours
This means that barbiturate is detectable for up to 48 hours after you last took the drug. If you plan to take a drug test while under the influence of barbiturates, you may want to wait at least 12 hours before going through with the test.
Benzodiazepines
- Immediate: Immediate
- 3-6 hours: 3 hours – 6 hours
- 9-12 hours: 9 hours – 12 hours
- 16-24 hours: 16 hours – 24 hours
- 33-48 hours: 33 hours – 48 hours
- 66+ hours: 66+ hours
This means that benzodiazepine is detectable for up to 66 hours after you last used the drug. People often take these drugs before they go into work, so wait at least one hour before taking a drug test if you plan to use a benzo drug before taking a drug test.
Carbohydrates
- Immediate: Immediate
- 2-4 hours: 2 hours – 4 hours
- 24+ hours: 24+ hours
This means that carbohydrates are detectable for up to 24 hours after you last ate something containing sugar. Wait at least two hours before taking a drug test if you plan to eat something sweet prior to taking a drug test.
Hallucinogens
- Immediate: Immediate
- 2-6 hours: 2 hours – 6 hours
- 8-24 hours: 8 hours – 24 hours
- 30-40 hours: 30 hours – 40 hours
This means that the hallucinogen is detectable for up to 40 hours after you last used the drug. Wait at least eight hours before you take a drug test if you plan to use a hallucinogen.
