Hair test for ETG (alcohol metabolite)

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Hair tests are being used more commonly (along with Peth).  Does anyone have any real world data on how much alcohol it takes to test positive for etg?  There's a wide range of studies saying moderate to heavy alcohol over several weeks is needed.   What about heavy binges and how many?

ETG is a water soluble, polar molecule, so it's eventually washed out from hair.  I don't think the "up to 3 months" is valid many times.   People have been using no lye hair relaxer in their hair to let the hair cuticle open and let etg leak out and/or chemically degrade etg.  There's studies on chemical straightening reducing all drug metabolites.  
Any user data?

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ETG and Peth are two different metabolites. It doesn't take much alcohol at all to test positive for ETG in the Urine if you have had as little as 2 swallows of Coors Light. One beer is automatic within 24 hours, you will test positive. 1 or 2 drinks (not the entire beer or mixed drink, but 1 or 2 swallows) can even trigger it. One beer will easily test positive for 48 hours for ETG in urine.

Peth is tough. There are stories where two beers can test positive up to 28 days and some say, it takes at least 5. Peth can be detected for 28 days. 

Hair test and alcohol are not reliable. Some test positive with small amounts and some take much larger amounts and still test negative. 

You are going to hear stories on here about how "somebody," or a "friend of a friend in Alaska" who had a "way to pass the Peth while still being able to drink." Do NOT buy into the hype. These stories are the exceptions to the rule. By in large, if you are still drinking alcohol while in a monitoring program, you will get caught. That's what the odds say. Sooner or later, people get nailed. It's not worth it. It's not worth the stress of "waiting for that drug test to come back next Tuesday" and having to live life like that over a 3 to 5 year period.

Worry far more about the Peth as it relates to alcohol instead of a hair test. Peth goes up to 28 days and is very sensitive. 

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I know we're also tested for ETS. The mystery of what they test for in a given test is to their advantage.  It's probably unlikely they're using hair but you never know.  Avoid alcohol. People do beat the tests but they seem to get caught more often.  Avoid all the stuff we're not supposed to take during your sentence and after you can live your life how you see fit. 

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Healer555 said:

 And after you can live your life how you see fit. 

I disagree. I had a nephew who we buried, and had a big funeral 3 years ago because there was a Dumb A%% Alcoholic who had a history of 5 DUI's and a known alcoholic who even had served time for his DUIs and he drove drunk again and killed my nephew. NO, if you are an alcoholic or drug addict, you should actually STOP living your life "how you see fit," because the overwhelming majority of the time, alcoholics and addicts (such as Myself) who continue to drink and or use drugs after suffering consequences the first time end up hurting OTHER HUMANS. Most alcoholics and addicts don't go into Alaska or the Wilderness to drink and do drugs and NOT bother others. They end up BOTHERING others whether it's time missed from work where coworkers suffer, or failed relationships which hurts partners, spouses and children, or disability due to the effect of substances which hurts everyone who pays taxes, or GOD forbid, the drinking and driving that kills someone, or the drug addict who gets involved with crime to feed the addiction and hurts or kills someone.

NO, do not live your life "how you see fit," IF.....IF.......again.....IF you are an addict or alcoholic because you have a condition (including myself) that doesn't set well with how You (and me) "sees things fit." It's probably time to stop listening to one's Self (which is the problem) and Listen to other normal humans who are not addicts or alcoholics and take their advice on what THEY see fit.

If you are truly Not and Alcoholic or Addict, then I agree 100%. When your time is up in monitoring, then absolutely live your life how you see fit. But if you are an alcoholic/addict, for the love of God, do NOT live life how you see fit. That's part of why you are here in the first place, and it's how other humans (it's not all about you-again, part of the problem-narcissism) BUT other humans end up getting hurt directly or indirectly. 

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Athenaray said:

I disagree. I had a nephew who we buried, and had a big funeral 3 years ago because there was a Dumb A%% Alcoholic who had a history of 5 DUI's and a known alcoholic who even had served time for his DUIs and he drove drunk again and killed my nephew. NO, if you are an alcoholic or drug addict, you should actually STOP living your life "how you see fit," because the overwhelming majority of the time, alcoholics and addicts (such as Myself) who continue to drink and or use drugs after suffering consequences the first time end up hurting OTHER HUMANS. Most alcoholics and addicts don't go into Alaska or the Wilderness to drink and do drugs and NOT bother others. They end up BOTHERING others whether it's time missed from work where coworkers suffer, or failed relationships which hurts partners, spouses and children, or disability due to the effect of substances which hurts everyone who pays taxes, or GOD forbid, the drinking and driving that kills someone, or the drug addict who gets involved with crime to feed the addiction and hurts or kills someone.

NO, do not live your life "how you see fit," IF.....IF.......again.....IF you are an addict or alcoholic because you have a condition (including myself) that doesn't set well with how You (and me) "sees things fit." It's probably time to stop listening to one's Self (which is the problem) and Listen to other normal humans who are not addicts or alcoholics and take their advice on what THEY see fit.

If you are truly Not and Alcoholic or Addict, then I agree 100%. When your time is up in monitoring, then absolutely live your life how you see fit. But if you are an alcoholic/addict, for the love of God, do NOT live life how you see fit. That's part of why you are here in the first place, and it's how other humans (it's not all about you-again, part of the problem-narcissism) BUT other humans end up getting hurt directly or indirectly. 

I'm one of the non addicts. As for those with a substance use disorder don't do anything to harm another person 

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
Healer555 said:

I'm one of the non addicts. As for those with a substance use disorder don't do anything to harm another person 

It's about impossible for somebody with a substance abuse disorder not to harm another person, for all the very good reasons posted above. I am not an addict, however my husband is. Many years of volatile behavior, missed work, lost jobs, 3 DUI's before he just stopped driving because he knew the next DUI would be mandatory jail time.  These caused both an emotional and financial toll. He did stop drinking, and then 9 months later went into liver failure. Fortunately he had been sober long enough to qualify for a transplant and even more fortunately received one when he was pretty close to end of life. It's been almost 5 years now since he received his transplant and he's a much better person sober.

My story is not unique. Every addict hurts people in some way. We are just fortunate that nobody was physically harmed by his behavior except for himself. 

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kbrn2002 said:

It's about impossible for somebody with a substance abuse disorder not to harm another person, for all the very good reasons posted above. I am not an addict, however my husband is. Many years of volatile behavior, missed work, lost jobs, 3 DUI's before he just stopped driving because he knew the next DUI would be mandatory jail time.  These caused both an emotional and financial toll. He did stop drinking, and then 9 months later went into liver failure. Fortunately he had been sober long enough to qualify for a transplant and even more fortunately received one when he was pretty close to end of life. It's been almost 5 years now since he received his transplant and he's a much better person sober.

My story is not unique. Every addict hurts people in some way. We are just fortunate that nobody was physically harmed by his behavior except for himself. 

Fair Working as a nurse impaired or driving impaired you could kill someone.  Imo, this is really the essential thing to avoid. 

Relationships can be ended.  Being a victim of a drunk driver or impaired nurse that's a whole different game. 

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It's more than direct harm. The point you are missing is....addicts/alcoholics should never touch alcohol or drugs again...as in ever. The reason it's a disease is because they can't stop when they do. They ALWAYS hurt others in the long run. A meth addict simply can't "do a little meth" as long as she "doesn't do it around others or operate equipment while impaired." An alcoholic can't "drink just enough to cut back so that nobody else is hurt." Doesn't work that way. 

Relationships can be ended. The problem is, when the mom takes daddy out of the picture, mom may do fine, but she is scarred and so are the kids (for life.)  You see, those kids are often in and out of therapy for decades because of daddy's drinking and their kids suffer and so on. It's more than simply..."don't drink and drive."

I will repeat...if you are an addict or alcoholic (as most on this Board probably are, but not all) do NOT live your life "as you see fit," after monitoring. Live life as "others see fit," because your way obviously hasn't worked.

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