You aced the interview, got the offer, and are ready to get to work. All that’s left is to complete a quick drug screening. You don’t use any illicit substances, but you do drink occasionally. Does alcohol show up on a drug test?
How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System?
The speed with which your body breaks down alcohol into its component parts and eliminates it can be influenced by factors such as your age, weight, and metabolism. Thus, there’s no standard, universally accurate answer to the question of how long alcohol remains in your system. But it’s possible to provide a general estimate.
The elimination of alcohol and other substances is typically measured in half-lives. As the term suggests, a half-life is the amount of time that it takes for half of a substance to be processed and removed from your body:
- It typically takes four to five half-lives for a substance to fall below what experts refer to as a clinically significant amount.
- The half-life of alcohol is about four to five hours.
- This means that it will likely take 16-25 hours after you stop drinking before your system is free of alcohol.
However, as we’ll discuss in the next section, the amount of time that alcohol is likely to be in your system isn’t the same as the amount of time you may test positive for alcohol on a drug test.
Does Alcohol Show Up on a Drug Test?
“Does alcohol show up on a drug test?” seems like a simple yes-or-no question – but it’s not.
As with the amount of time that alcohol stays in your system, the likelihood that you will test positive on a drug test can also be influenced by a variety of factors. In addition to your age, weight, and metabolism, these factors also include what type of test you are taking and what type of sample you need to provide.
Type of Sample Provided
The concentration of alcohol isn’t consistent throughout your body, so analyses of different samples can have different detection windows.
Also, it’s important to note that drug screens don’t only detect the actual presence of alcohol. They can also find metabolites, which are created when your body breaks alcohol into its component parts to prepare it for elimination. You may have metabolites in your system long after the alcohol itself is no longer present.
In general, here’s how long alcohol or alcohol metabolites will show up in common samples:
- Breath: 12-24 hours
- Blood: Up to 12 hours
- Urine: 72-120 hours (three to five days)
- Saliva: Up to 48 hours (two days)
- Hair follicles: Up to 90 days (three months)
Type of Test Being Used
In addition to the type of sample you need to provide, the likelihood that alcohol will show up on a drug test will also be influenced by the type of test that’s being used.
Drug tests can only detect the specific substances they’ve been designed to find. Most standard pre-employment tests use five-panel screens. These tests are set up to detect five substances:
- Amphetamine
- Cocaine
- THC (the primary psychoactive element in marijuana)
- Opiates (a category that includes heroin, morphine, and many prescription painkillers)
- Phencyclidine (PCP or angel dust)
So if you take a five-panel screen, alcohol won’t show up, because the test isn’t looking for it.
Alcohol won’t show up on seven- or 10-panel screens, either, because these tests are designed to detect:
- Seven-panel screen: The five drugs from the five-panel screen, plus benzodiazepines and barbiturates
- 10-panel screen: The seven drugs from the seven-panel screen, plus methaqualone, methadone, and propoxyphene
Though many standard screens aren’t set up to detect alcohol, there are several scenarios in which you may be tested for it. These include:
- When stopped by police for suspected DUI
- In the aftermath of an automobile accident
- While participating in a treatment program or living in a sober living home
- To earn and retain a commercial driver’s license (CDR)
- To meet the requirements for certain jobs in fields including aviation, healthcare, transportation, and childcare
How Can You Avoid Testing Positive for Alcohol?
The only way to be certain that you won’t test positive for alcohol on a drug screen is to not drink alcohol. If that’s difficult for you to do, it might be time to think about getting some help.
Not sure if it’s time to talk to a professional? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you frequently drink more or for a longer period of time than you intended?
- Has your alcohol use become a source of conflicts with friends or family members?
- Have you ever felt the need to lie to loved ones or colleagues about the amount and/or frequency of your alcohol use?
- Do you need alcohol to deal with stress or simply relax at the end of the day?
- Have you used alcohol in ways that can be especially hazardous, such as when driving a car or while also using other substances?
- Do you experience cravings for alcohol when you’ve gone a short period of time without having a drink?
- Have you had problems at work or in school as a result of your alcohol use?
- Do you need to drink more than you used to in order to feel the effects of alcohol?
- Have you ever tried to stop drinking, but discovered that you were unable to quit?
If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to consult with your doctor or schedule an assessment at an addiction treatment center near you.
Alcohol addiction is a chronic, progressive disease that can have a damaging effect on virtually every part of your life. But it is also a treatable condition. When you get the help you need, you can end your alcohol use for good.
Find Help for Alcohol Addiction in the San Francisco Bay Area
Live Oaks Wellness offers medical detox and comprehensive residential treatment for adults who have become addicted to alcohol and other drugs.
At our alcohol rehab center near San Francisco, CA, you can receive personalized care from a team of highly skilled professionals. Working together, we can help you find your path toward a much healthier and more hopeful future in recovery.
To learn more about how we can help you, or to schedule a free consultation, please visit our Contact page or call us today.
