The EtG test is a popular test used to detect EtG (ethyl glucuronide) in one’s system. Ethyl glucuronide is known as the breakdown product of ethanol. It’s also the intoxicating agent present in alcohol.
Alcohol abstinence is the primary reason for conducting the EtG test. And there are several ways to conduct EtG tests. You can test for it in your bloodstream, nail, hair, and urine. However, urine is the simplest and widely used method.
A lot of people have tried several things to beat the EtG test. Some have had to gobble down a considerable amount of detox drinks as a result.
A positive EtG test result can damage one’s chance of landing or keeping a job. So, here’s a hot question with regards to this topic.
Do detox drinks work for EtG tests?
Yes, they do. But before you get excited, note that detox drinks are a temporary fix. After drinking and peeing about 2 to 3 times, they can keep you clean (alcohol-free) for around 5 to 3 hours. After that, you’re on your own.
Now here’s the thing. Detox drinks taste like synthetic blueberry. Again, the type of drink used determines the effect. In other words, some detox drinks are more effective than others. So, if you want the best result, choose a more potent detox drink.
Detox drinks are also quite expensive. A pop could cost you around 60 dollars. But then, that’s a meager amount to sacrifice to keep your dream or win a court case. Don’t you think so?
So, if your boss just informed you that your alcohol test would be in the next couple of hours, don’t fret. Just get the right detox drink. The rest would be history.
But please, note that you have to gobble down the entire bottle of detox drink around 60 to 90 minutes before the allotted time for the test.
So that’s the answer to the question about detox drinks. But we have more in store for you regarding this topic. Continue reading to find out.
Why Is EtG Test Used?
A poll conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management showed that 57 percent of companies in the United States of America run drug tests. However, in 1996, over 81 percent of companies were conducting the test.
So the figures have reduced a bit. Nevertheless, companies still request such tests. But here’s the thing. Companies are not the only ones that conduct EtG tests. A myriad of sectors does. The test is requested for various purposes, such as:
- Military
- schools
- DWI or DUI program
- Liver transplant patient
- Probation programs
- Alcohol treatment programs
- Court cases ( most especially one that has to do with child custody)
- Professional monitoring programs. These include healthcare professionals, airline pilots, and attorneys).
Is EtG Test Accurate?
The test is somewhat accurate. But we can’t rule out the fact that it has some limitations. Most home and environmental products contain alcohol. The EtG test detects alcohol, so there’s a possibility of someone having a positive EtG result even if they don’t consume alcohol.
There’s no way to determine if the EtG discovered in one’s urine is due to exposure to alcohol-based environmental or home products. As long as EtG is found in your system, you’re an alcoholic.
Here are some examples of alcohol-based products in the home.
- Hair dye
- Mouthwashes
- Breath sprays
- Cleaning products
- Aftershave products
- Cosmetics products
- Hand sanitizers
- Hygiene products, e.g., antiperspirant
Again, there are certain foods prepared or flavored with alcohol. Now imagine consuming such foods only to discover some hours later that your company wants you to take an EtG test. The result would be positive, that’s for sure.
Surprisingly, the list of alcohol-based household products is inexhaustible. You would find tons of these household products on the National Library of Health’s database. And these are products people use every day in their homes.
Furthermore, the EtG test detects someone that recently took alcohol, with accuracy levels of 70 percent or higher, most of the time. In a study conducted, this accuracy level jumped to 85 percent for moderate to heavy alcohol consumption.
The EtG test cannot indicate whether the alcohol consumed is from an alcohol-based product. That means most people may have been accused wrongly of being alcoholics, even though they aren’t. As long as the test result shows positive, the company, or whoever requested for the test can build a strong case against you.
How Long Can EtG Remain In Urine
EtG can remain in one’s urine a bit longer than alcohol does in one’s breath or blood. After having a couple of alcoholic drinks, EtG can show up in your urine 48 to 72 hours later. And it can remain there for long if the drinking is a heavy one.
A Handy Tip: A urine test can detect EtG in one’s urine for as long as five days or more after alcohol consumption. But please note that it’s only detectable after 48 to 72 hours or more if you had 2 to 4 drinks. For one drink, the EtG result would be positive in less than 24 hours or a bit more.
Interpreting EtG Results
EtG result is interpreted as high, low, and very low positive. Each has its range and corresponding interpretation. Let’s discuss each test result’s interpretation for better understanding.
High positive EtG result:
If your test result is greater than >1,000ng/mL, it’s a high positive EtG.
This result means two things. Firstly, you drank heavily on that day or the previous day. Secondly, the alcohol consumption was probably light and done on the same day the test was conducted.
Low positive:
If the test results fall within 500 to 1,000ng/mL, it indicates a low positive EtG. This result means three things.
Firstly, it suggests that you drank heavily within the previous 1 to 3 days. Secondly, you may have done light drinking within 24 hours before the test.
Lastly, you may have been exposed to environmental alcohol-based products within 24 hours before the test was conducted.
Very low positive:
This test result shows that the level of EtG in your system ranges from 100 to 500ng/mL. And this result means three things.
One is the possibility of heavy consumption of alcohol within 1 to 3 days before the test. The second indicates light alcohol consumption within 12 to 32 hours before the test. The last one suggests recent exposure to alcohol-based environmental products.
4 Facts About EtG Test You Should Know
Fact#1: You can excrete EtG from your system:
EtG excretion happens the same way we eliminate toxins from our bodies. You can expel ethanol from your body in various ways.
It can be direct excretion, which happens via sweating, urination, or breathing. Another possibility is metabolic excretion. And this involves converting ethanol to acetaldehyde/acetic acid.
Fact#2: Drug test for EtG can be positive even if you’re not an alcoholic:
Most of the products sold at supermarkets are alcohol-based. And taking any of these products before an EtG test can present you as an alcoholic.
So, don’t be surprised if your result is positive when you don’t drink alcohol—the products you used or are using caused it.
Fact#3: EtG test results have been considered valid and acceptable in the court of law:
EtG results have been provided and accepted as evidence in legal proceedings.
Fact#4: There’s a possibility of in-vitro formation of EtG in the body:
This can only happen to a diabetic patient. If you have diabetes, including a certain UTI (urinary tract infection), there’s a possibility of the body producing EtG. You don’t need to consume alcohol for this to occur. It happens when diabetes is uncontrolled. When this happens, high glucose in the blood goes into the urine. The glucose is then fermented into alcohol by microorganisms. If there were E.coli in the diabetic patient’s urine, then the ethanol formed would be converted into EtG.
Conclusion
So, do detox drinks work for EtG tests? The answer is yes, as stated at the beginning of this post. But the drinks are expensive and only serve as a temporary fix. EtG is a handy test used for the detection of alcohol consumption. But like every other test, there’s a possibility of having a false-positive result.
So, it’s better to have the test conducted more than once to be very sure. The individual in question also needs to state if he or she had alcohol.
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