Origin Diagnostics Drug Testing

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Street Names: Downers, Nerve Pills, Tranks

Description: The benzodiazepines are central nervous system (CNS) depressants commonly prescribed for the short-term treatment of anxiety and insomnia. Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) was the first benzodiazepine produced. Diazepam (Valium) was the next to be developed and until the early 1980′s this was the most widely prescribed tranquillizer in the world. Today, newer benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan) account for most tranquillizer prescriptions.
Benzodiazepines can be detected in urine drug screening from 10 days to 10 weeks depending on usage.

The widespread availability of benzodiazepines has made them common as drugs of abuse. Long-term users typically develop a tolerance to the drugs, requiring larger doses to achieve the desired effects. A psychological and/or physical dependence can develop, making it difficult to discontinue use. Some drug abusers take benzodiazepines to bring them down after using stimulants such as ecstasy or cocaine. Others take them to enhance the effects of alcohol. They are also commonly used as replacement drugs when a user’s drug of first choice is not available.

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Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist. This means that, although buprenorphine is an opioid, and thus can produce typical opioid agonist effects and side effects such as euphoria and respiratory depression, its maximal effects are less than those of full agonists like heroin and methadone. At low doses buprenorphine produces sufficient agonist effect to enable opioid-addicted individuals to discontinue the misuse of opioids without experiencing withdrawal symptoms. The agonist effects of buprenorphine increase linearly with increasing doses of the drug until at moderate doses they reach a plateau and no longer continue to increase with further increases in dose—the “ceiling effect.” Thus, buprenorphine carries a lower risk of abuse, addiction, and side effects compared to full opioid agonists. In fact, in high doses and under certain circumstances, buprenorphine can actually block the effects of full opioid agonists and can precipitate withdrawal symptoms if administered to an opioid-addicted individual while a full agonist is in the bloodstream.

Buprenorphine has poor oral bioavailability and moderate sublingual bioavailability. Formulations for opioid addiction treatment are in the form of sublingual tablets.

Buprenorphine is highly bound to plasma proteins. It is metabolized by the liver via the cytochrome P4503A4 enzyme system into norbuprenorphine and other metabolites. The half-life of buprenorphine is 24–60 hours.

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Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug chemically related to amphetamine but with stronger effects on the central nervous system. It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol. “Meth” is made of highly volatile, toxic substances (based on such chemical “precursors” as methylamine and amyl amine) that are melded in differing combinations, forming what some have described as a “mix of laundry detergent and lighter fluid.”

Methamphetamine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant.
The drug works directly on the brain and spinal cord by interfering with normal neurotransmission. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances naturally produced within nerve cells used to communicate with each other and send messages to influence and regulate our thinking and all other systems throughout the body.

The main neurotransmitter affected by methamphetamine is dopamine. Dopamine is involved with our natural reward system. For example, feeling good about a job well done, getting pleasure from our family or social interactions, feeling content and that our lives are meaningful and count for something, all rely on dopamine transmission.

Ice is the translucent crystal, smokable form of methamphetamine. It is also commonly called glass or crystal and, like other stimulants, is highly addictive. (In terms of molecular structure, ice and methamphetamine are the same)The use of ice results in a longer, more intense high and an enhanced and more rapid onset of the negative effects of other forms of methamphetamine.

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Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive, opiate drug. Its abuse is more widespread than any other opiate. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants. It is typically sold as a white or brownish powder, or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as “black tar heroin.” Although purer heroin is becoming more common, most street heroin is “cut” with other drugs or with substances such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, or quinine.

Heroin is a semi-synthetic opiate derived from morphine or codeine and is the most potent of the opiates. It is typically found in white to brown powdered form and is injected, sniffed, or smoked. In the past, powders sold as illicit heroin typically contained only 1% to 10% of the drug.

Slang terms: “smack”, “junk”, “horse”, “skag”, “H”, “China white”

Indicated for:

Relief of extreme pain
Recreational uses:

Euphoria
Relaxation
Other uses:

Pain relief
Cough suppressant
Anti-diarrhea

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Cocaine, the most potent stimulant of natural origin, is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant (Erythroxylon coca), which is indigenous to the Andean highlands of South America. It is a potent brain stimulant and one of the most powerfully addictive drugs. Cocaine is produced as a white chunky powder. It is sold most often in aluminum foil, plastic or paper packets, or small vials. Cocaine is usually chopped into a fine powder with a razor blade on a small mirror or some other hard surface, arranged into small rows called “lines,” then quickly inhaled (or “snorted”) through the nose with a short straw or rolled up paper money. It can also be injected into the blood stream.

Cocaine is a potent, naturally occurring central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It is derived from the leaves of the coca plant, found primarily in various regions of South America.

There are four primary methods of ingesting cocaine. These are:

1. “Snorting” – absorbing cocaine through the mucous membranes of the nose.
2. Injecting – users mix cocaine powder with water and use a syringe to inject the solution intravenously.
3. Freebasing – Cocaine hydrochloride is converted to a “freebase” which can then be smoked.
4. Crack Cocaine – Cocaine hydrochloride is mixed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and other ingredients, causing it to solidify into pellets or “rocks”. The crack is then smoked in glass pipes.

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MDMA or ecstasy is a Schedule I, synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. Ecstasy possesses chemical variations of the stimulant amphetamine or methamphetamine and a hallucinogen, most often mescaline. Ecstasy is a semi-synthetic chemical compound.

MDMA use is closely tied to the underground rave (and dance club) scene throughout the world, but has also been widely used by therapists as an adjunct to psychotherapy. Because MDMA is so popular and because it goes well with dance parties, the demand for it usually exceeds supply–especially at any given location on any given night.

MDMA, or ‘ecstasy’ is a ‘psychedelic amphetamine’ that has gained popularity over the past 20 years because of its ability to produce strong feelings of comfort, empathy, and connection to others. It most frequently comes in tablet form, although it is occasionally sold in capsules or as powder. It is most frequently used orally and rarely snorted.

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Methadone mimics many of the effects of opiates such as heroin.

Methadone is one of a number of synthetic opiates (also called opioids) that are manufactured for medical use and have similar effects to heroin. These include dihydrocodeine (DF118s), pethidine (often used in childbirth), diconal, palfium and temgesic.

Methadone and subutex (buprenorphine) are used as substitutes for heroin in the treatment of heroin addiction.

Methadone mimics many of the effects of opiates such as heroin. However, there are many differences. For example, heroin produces an almost immediate “rush” or brief period of euphoria, which wears off relatively quickly, resulting in a strong craving to use more heroin. In contrast, methadone has a more gradual onset of action when administered orally. Its effects can last up to 24 hours, which allows the patient to take methadone only once a day without experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Research has demonstrated that, when methadone is given in regular doses by a physician, it has the ability to block the euphoria caused by heroin if the individual does try to take heroin. Despite methadone’s role in the treatment of heroin addiction, it has addictive properties and also a high potential for abuse on the street. Methadone enters the illicit drug market primarily as a result of patients selling their prescriptions.

Methadone doesn’t deliver the same degree of buzz or high like heroin. It allows people to tackle their psychological addiction and stabilize their lifestyle when used as a substitute for heroin in treatment it stops withdrawal symptoms. Then the dose can be reduced slowly until that user is off the drug completely. When used to come off heroin there are still problems with withdrawal but there are much less severe than ‘cold turkey’ that occurs when stopping heroin.

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The cost to employers from illegal drug abuse is over $100 billion every year:

8.2% of full-time workers are current illicit drug uses
80% of drug abusers steal from their workplace
65% of all work related accidents are the direct result of substance abuse
As many as 50% of all workers’ compensation claims involve substance abuse

Employers have an obligation to provide a safe and healthy working environment. Employees who abuse drugs jeopardize the safety and well being of all employees and impact the bottom line. In these economically challenging times, it is more important than ever to prevent and reduce expenses related to substance abuse.

Each substance abuser costs an employer about $9,600 a year in:

Absenteeism
Low productivity
Loss Time From Accidents
Increased Health Care Costs
Increased Workers Compensation Costs
Loss Time Handling Confrontation/Conflicts

Regardless of which tests are done, drug testing always produces a positive return on investment:

Pre-employment drug testing can significantly improve applicant selectivity for your company. Why not avoid hiring an employee that might decrease safety, productivity and moral in your workplace, and cost you money?
Random drug testing has been shown to be a powerful deterrent to substance abuse in the workplace for existing employees. Such programs reduce accidents, improve productivity and may provide savings on workers compensation insurance premiums.
Reasonable Suspicion and Post-incident drug testing may be valuable in reducing liability in your operations. Reasonable Suspicion/ For Cause drug tests consistently produce the highest positive rates (18%).

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Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). It is the most often used illegal drug in this country. All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs that contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana.

THC is the chemical in marijuana which makes you feel “high” (which means experiencing a change in mood and seeing or feeling things differently). Certain parts of the plant contain higher levels of THC. The flowers or “buds” have more THC than the stems or leaves.

When  marijuana is smoked, THC goes quickly into the blood through the lungs and then to the brain (this is when the “high” is felt and can happen within a few minutes and can last up to five hours). THC is absorbed more slowly into the blood when marijuana is eaten because it has to pass through the stomach and intestine and can take up to one hour to experience the “high” effects, which can last up to 12 hours. THC is absorbed quickly into body fat and is then released very slowly back into the blood. This process can take up to one month for a single dose of THC to fully leave the body.

Marijuana, the most often used illegal drug in this country, is a product of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana, also present in other forms of cannabis, is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Of the roughly 400 chemicals found in the cannabis plant, THC affects the brain the most.

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Synonyms for Barbiturates in General: Sleeping Pills

Street Names for Barbiturates: Barbs, Downers

Barbiturates are commonly divided into groups based on the onset and duration of their action. The intermediate and short-acting barbiturates are the categories most commonly abused, most notably Seconal (secobarbital) and Tuinal (secobarbital with amobarbital). Long-acting barbiturates have an onset of action of 30 to 60 minutes and a duration of action of 6 to 8 hours.

Examples of long-acting barbiturates are phenobarbital and barbital. Their slow onset of action discourages their abuse.
The intermediate-acting barbiturates have an onset of action of 15 to 30 minutes and a duration of action of 4 to 6 hours.

Examples of intermediate-acting barbiturates are amobarbital, butabarbital, and Tuinal.
The short-acting barbiturates have an onset of action of 10 to 15 minutes and have a duration of action of 2 to 4 hours.

Examples of short-acting barbiturates are secobarbital and pentobarbital.
The ultra-short-acting barbiturates have an onset of action of 0 to 45 seconds and a duration of action 15 minutes to 3 hours. These are barbiturates used as anesthetics. Their effects are generally felt within one minute of intravenous administration.

Examples of ultra short-acting barbiturates are thiopenthal sodium, hexobarbital, and methohexital. The rapid onset and brief duration of action practically precludes the use of ultra-short-acting barbiturates in the street environment.
Concern about the addiction potential of barbiturates and the ever-increasing numbers of fatalities associated with them led to the development of alternative medications.

Barbiturates can be detected in urine drug testing from 2 to 10 days. Depending on usage.