The hair samples were collected from 200 parents of young children from across the UK, with an equal split between mothers and fathers and an average age of 33. Through chemical markers absorbed by the hair from alcohol in the bloodstream, the samples revealed the true drinking habits of donors over a six month period. These amounts were compared to estimates of how much the donors had admitted to drinking. The exercise, conducted by Trimega Laboratories ( http://www.trimegalabs.co.uk ), shows:
• 81% of donors claimed to be drinking below the alcohol misuse limit (7.5 units of alcohol or 60 g of pure alcohol per day)
• However 43% of samples tested positive to be above this level
• Of these, 44% admit to being heavy drinkers
• The remaining 56% are in denial
Avi Lasarow, managing director of Trimega Laboratories(
“Alcohol misuse has, up until now, been very difficult to measure because patients don’t always come clean with their doctors and then liver function tests, even when accurate, only relate to recent consumption. Hair alcohol tests are revolutionary because they're not only a foolproof footprint but can also track a history going back months or even years if required. We can now paint a much more accurate picture of society’s dependence on alcohol so that its associated problems can be tackled more efficiently.”
Although relatively new, hair alcohol testing is fast-becoming the preferred method of determining someone’s alcohol history. There are many applications where there are benefits of knowing for sure whether someone has an alcohol problem or not. These include:
• Child custody cases
• Probation service for alcohol offences
• Safety critical employment
• Proof of responsibility, eg corporate leaders, armed forces etc
• Alcohol treatment programmes
• Screening people in clinical trials
• Suitability for surgery
• Diagnostic tool in company medicals.
Jim Campbell, a former Home Office forensic scientist, added:
“This new type of screening is the most important development in alcohol testing for a decade and this study is, without doubt, the largest and most accurate of its kind. Alcoholism is as prevalent in the UK as diabetes and it can affect anybody. Effective treatment always starts with testing and this method is the perfect way to identify those with the greatest need.”
About Trimega Laboratories
Trimega Laboratories(
Further information:
Nick Heath (Ink PR) 020 7978 0831 / Nick@inkpr.com
Avi Lasarow (Trimega Laboratories)
