Smart Test

The rise of affordability on DNA testing has allowed for substantial increases in its applicability.  From DNA testing for US Immigration to testing for ancestry research and maternity/paternity cases, the biggest obstacles to testing are the cost of the test, the reliability and defensibility of the results, and the timeframe to receive results. Following testing protocols without error at the time of collection are required for a specimen to be valid and defensible, and a laboratory which can provide fast-yet-accurate results. Popular DNA testing services for ancestry can take up to eight weeks and paternity tests can take several weeks. Smart Test provides affordable testing with legally valid results in under a week. DNA testing in Boston is now faster, more accurate, secure and confidential at an affordable price. Smart Test Boston (617) 963–8378 240 Commercial St. Boston, MA 02109

Breath-alcohol testing determines the ratio of blood-alcohol in the body (expressed through the breath sample). The reading produced by the device describes the levels most of us are familiar with; “0.02” or “.08”, many of which are written into state, workplace, and local laws. The levels in the USDOT regulations use the same scale. What is wrong about the assumptions comes from the idea that one serving of alcohol will produce a result of .02, and that other extrapolations can be made from the reading on the device. Using simple division to determine the number of drinks someone consumed is a speculative waste of time. Employers should only be concerned with the confirmed result on a NHTSA-approved testing device, and not attempt to forensically determine the consumption profile of an employee. If an employee produces a breath specimen of .04, some may assume that it was the result of two drinks. However, that result could be because the employee just consumed fi...

The USDOT requires reasonable-suspicion testing for all modes when specific, contemporaneous and articulable observations are made by a trained company official concerning (among other things) the speech, appearance, and actions of an employee related to drug use or alcohol misuse. There is a common misconception that substance-specific symptoms must be observed in order to make a determination to test. For example, rapid eye movement, excitability, and increased pulse rate are clearly associated with the effects of stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines. However, the company official who makes the observations may be witnessing the employee during the after-effects caused by the drug. During this “come-down” period, employees may present symptoms of extreme fatigue, lethargy, and slowed responses and reaction times. In other words, they experience the opposite of the symptoms associated with the initial effects of the drug. Supervisors and company officials trained in re...