NCJ Number
138539
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on the methodology and results of a study that compared tests of hair for signs of drugs of abuse with testing by urinalysis and with self-reports of drug use.
Abstract
Pinellas County, located on Florida's West Central coast, is the most highly urbanized and densely populated county in Florida. In fall 1989 officials from a local drug treatment program, the Penillas County Sheriff's Office, and a researcher from the University of South Florida conducted a research project to compare the result of hair testing, urinalysis, and self- reports of drug use among arrestees at the Pinellas County Jail and to evaluate the implementation and utility of a hair-based drug monitoring system. The sample size of those who were given urine testing was 278, and the sample size for those whose hair was tested was 293. The study found that radioimmunoassay of a single hair specimen detected more drug exposure than was self- reported or detected by a single urine test. The degree of this underreporting apparently varies to some extent with the type of drug. An advantage of hair analysis is that it retains drug components for longer periods (weeks or even months) compared to the 2 to 3 days that cocaine or heroin can be detected in blood or urine. Hair specimens can also be readily obtained without the privacy problems associated with the obtaining of urine specimens or the invasiveness of drawing blood. 4 exhibits and 4 notes