Fatty Acid Ester (FAEE) hair testing is a new and sophisticated method for detecting problem drinking.
FAEE testing detects alcohol consumption when it is routinely more than 6 beers per day for the average 150 lb person (60 grams/day).
FAEE testing is used in many different ways:
- Identifying persons who are not heavy drinkers;
- Proving a parent is fit to have custody of children;
- Proving someone does not have an alcohol problem and is fit for a leadership or a safety sensitive job;
- Demonstrating someone is long-term abstinent from heavy drinking.
FAEE markers of excessive drinking appear when alcohol is consumed regularly in excess of social drinking patterns. The sensitivity of this test allows us to report that a person does or does not have a pattern of regular excessive drinking, commonly called “alcohol abuse.”
It takes a week or more for the marker to appear in the hair on the scalp. We take the first 2.5 to 4.5 inches of hair when the hair is of sufficient length. That relates to a period of around 3 to 6 months of hair growth. We require at least 100 mg of hair, which means a cut tuft of hair a bit wider than the size of a pencil diameter and at least 1-1/2 inches in length. The hair can be taken from more than one location on the head, and the sampling site used is typically unnoticeable after the hair is collected.
We provide complete instructions for collectors. Collectors should be trained medical or legal personnel. The collection is an important part of the process and needs to be done under strict chain of custody conditions for the sample to be valid. The report will include the identity details for the sample, and the result for the test. If the results are negative, the test will say so, i.e., the person whose hair sample was tested does not appear to have a pattern of frequent, heavy drinking.
To find out more about FAEE hair testing, please contact us today.