The disease of drug abuse kills thousands of individuals every year, devastates families, destroys businesses, and costs our economy billions of dollars annually. The most effective method to combating this deadly and costly epidemic is to stop it before it starts.

Steven Paymer, MSW, has worked in the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment for the past ten years. Two years ago, he began to see a very disturbing pattern emerging in the field of drug testing. Known drug abusers were continually passing urine drug screens that were being administered to ensure one’s sobriety.

As a result, Steven began to offer the families of individuals under his care the option of a hair follicle drug test. Today, hair follicle drug testing is the most accurate form of drug testing available, providing results that cannot be altered by the donor, and with a significantly longer history of drug use than urine tests. Using a small sample of hair cut at the scalp, hair tests evaluate the amount of drug metabolites embedded inside the hair shaft.

When compared to the more traditional forms of testing, hair samples can detect a longer period of drug use. With urine, most drugs are undetectable if urinalysis is done more than 2-3 days after use, with the exception of marijuana, which may be detected for a slightly longer period of time. After the 2-3 day period, a urine donor will test negative and slip through the urine screening process. With hair samples, the only time limitation for detecting drug usage is imposed by the length of the donor’s hair. Each ½ inch of head hair provides a 30-day history of drug use. The standard for the industry is to test 1.5 inches, which provides a 90-day history of the donor’s drug use.

In addition to conducting hair follicle drug testing, Paymer Associates also conducts interventions, supports families and businesses with case management and referrals, assists businesses in creating a drug free workplace policy and program, and performs urine drug screens and alcohol testing. All of these services take place in the privacy and comfort of your home or office. We ensure that you, your loved ones, or your employees feel safe and comfortable.