Beware of EtG testing!

EtG or Ethyl Glucuronide is a direct metabolite of alcohol produced by the body after alcohol consumption or exposure to a product containing alcohol. Where standard urine tests were unable to detect alcohol in a person's urine within hours after consumption, EtG has offered companies an appealing alternative in which they can detect EtG in a person's urine up to 80 hours after consumption.

Sounds great right? Here's the problem: Many companies marketing this new test are marketing it as an error proof test. What they aren't telling people is that the test is so sensitive, its capable of producing a positive test result for ethyl glucoronide from the mere exposure to alcohol that is present in many daily use products.

Very little testing has been done on the accuracy of EtG testing. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (otherwise called "SAMSHA") had this to say about EtG testing:

"Currently, the use of an EtG test in determining abstinence lacks sufficient proven specificity for use as primary or sole evidence that an individual prohibited from drinking, in a criminal justice or a regulatory compliance context, has truly been drinking. Legal or disciplinary action based solely on a positive EtG . . . is inappropriate and scientifically unsupportable at this time. These tests should currently be considered as potential valuable clinical tools, but their use in the forensic setting is premature.

The Role of Biomarkers in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders, Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory, Volume 5, Issue 4 (Sept. 2006).

EtG appears to be a fairly new testing procedure. And while it shows lots of promise in detecting alcohol consumption several days after use, it's not without its problems in detecting alcohol metabolites in people who have not consumed alcohol but have been "incidentally exposed."

Products which may contribute to incidental exposure include:

• Purell or other hand sanitizers
• Nyquil or other cough syrups containing alcohol
• Common household cleaning products
• Denatured Alcohol
• Mouthwash
• Desserts containing alcohol products
• Wine Vinegar
• Products containing Ethanol

Many organizations and programs have incorporated EtG testing into their treatment programs including:

• DUII diversion programs
• Probation and Community Corrections programs
• Programs responsible for random testing of professionals who are on probation for substance abuse or signed an abstinence agreement as a condition of employment.

As a result of positive test results likely due to incidental exposure, people are being accused of drinking when they haven't consumed alcohol. They're being revoked out of their DUII diversions, having probation violations filed against them due to positive EtG test results, and losing their professional licenses and employment as nurses, doctors and other professionals.

Don't let that be you. If you've been accused of drinking based on a positive EtG result, you need an experienced attorney who can help you. Call our criminal attorneys today to meet with us immediately. We're here to help.