WORRIED parents will be able to test their children’s nail clippings for drug and alcohol consumption thanks to an at-home test from Warrington-based AlphaBiolabs.
The laboratory, which provides DNA, drug, alcohol, and Covid-19 testing services, is the first in the country to bring “peace of mind” nail testing to the market, with nail tests previously only available for businesses with workplace testing programs or for legal purposes.
Using a sample of fingernail or toenail clippings taken at-home and posted back to AlphaBiolabs’ laboratory for analysis, the non-invasive test looks for the presence of drugs and/or alcohol metabolites in nails, for an overview of up to 12 months of drug or alcohol abuse.
Three types of tests are available: an alcohol test (£99), drug test (£149) or combined drug and alcohol test (£199), with secure, password-protected results emailed within seven working days.
The launch of the at-home drug and alcohol nail test comes following a period of significant growth for the company, which completed the acquisition of a 10,817 sq ft office space at Lingley Mere, Warrington in September.
Last month AlphaBiolabs also announced that it had become the first laboratory in the UK to be UKAS-accredited for non-invasive prenatal paternity testing.
With the drug and alcohol nail test now on sale to the public, AlphaBiolabs surveyed UK parents* with children aged 9-16 about their children’s drinking and drug habits.
Over a third (34 per cent) of parents surveyed admitted to having worries about their children abusing drugs or alcohol. However, despite these concerns, fewer than half of those parents (14 per cent) said that they’d confronted their child(ren) about their drug and/or alcohol consumption.
Taking parents’ concerns into account, it was, therefore, unsurprising that 1 in 4 (27 per cent) said they would be willing to have their child’s nail clippings tested for drugs/alcohol if such a test were available.
AlphaBiolabs director Rachel Davenport said: “From our experience working with the legal profession, we know the profound effect that drink and drug abuse can have on families.
“For parents with suspicions about their child’s drinking or drug use, this type of test provides a simple, non-invasive way find out the truth, either helping to ease any worries they might have or providing the information they need to seek the correct support.”
The peace of mind Drug and Alcohol Nail Test from AlphaBiolabs is for personal information only and cannot be used for legal matters.
If a test is required for legal purposes, call the AlphaBiolabs Customer Services team on 0333 600 1300 or email [email protected].
