Blog

Blog

Society of Hair Testing - The 2020 Drug of Abuse Consensus and recommendations

The Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) had a consensus meeting on the 7th and 8th February 2020 in Seville, Spain to discuss the current drug testing and interpretation guidelines. The SoHT has established new guidelines for the interpretation of drug of abuse results, as well as securing and... Read More

24th February 2020
Court-ordered drug testing in child custody cases: How does it work?

Court-ordered drug testing in child custody cases: How does it work?

Drug Testing

Custody disputes can be an emotionally testing time for all involved, as they often dig up the past and have an immediate impact on a families routine in the present, whilst unavoidably placing uncertainty on the future. All of this can make those involved in a case both anxious and frustrated,... Read More

17th February 2020
What Does a Non-Negative Drug Result Mean?

What Does a Non-Negative Drug Result Mean?

Drug Testing

When this question is first approached, ‘non-negative’ would surely in logical terms mean ‘positive’, but in the world of workplace testing and drug policies, this is not the way things work.  Allow us to explain. Is a non-negative result the same as a positive result? A drug... Read More

15th January 2020
UK Immigration Rules on Family Settlement

UK Immigration Rules on Family Settlement

Immigration

Immigration rules can be confusing, technical, written in ‘legalese’ and can be easily misinterpreted, especially when English is not your first language. There are restrictions based on what country an applicant is coming from and the rules can vary between temporary visitors, long-term visitors,... Read More

8th January 2020
How Long Does a Court-Ordered DNA Test Take?

How Long Does a Court-Ordered DNA Test Take?

DNA

When the question of paternity arises, it’s often as a means of finding out who is biologically responsible for financially supporting a child. It’s an emotional and stressful time for all involved, especially when there’s an ongoing dispute. To find out who the father definitely is (or isn’t), a... Read More

19th November 2019
Can a Paternity Test be Wrong?

Can a Paternity Test be Wrong?

Paternity

The outcome for a families future can often rest on the results of DNA tests. Whilst you may or may not have ever been involved in the paternity testing process, it can often induce a great deal of emotion, anxiety, and fear for those who are. The outcomes have such important consequences that the... Read More

5th November 2019
Blog

Brexit & The Family Reunification Process

Immigration

The uncertainty of Brexit and the impact it will have on the UK’s residents and businesses remains as uncertain today as it was a year ago. The UK media and the government's reports to the UK and the rest of the world’s populous continues to provide little clarity or reassurance as to what life... Read More

21st October 2019

SoHT Alcohol Consensus - The use of alcohol markers in hair

Following the 2019 International Congress of the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) in Lille, a revised adaptation to the general consensus on alcohol testing has been formulated by a committee of experts to support the assessments drawn when conducting hair analysis of abstinence and chronic excessive... Read More

8th August 2019

A day in the life of a DNA Legal Client Manager - Immigration

Hi, My name is Terry Botting and I work for DNA Legal, based in the South West of the UK. I am a Client Manager and help hundreds of people every year with family reunification. The majority of the cases I complete are to support Home Office UK Visa applications, but I also work with clients... Read More

17th July 2019
Blog

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) - The Superior Direct Alcohol Biomarker

Blog by Salah Breidi - Head of Forensic Toxicology There are some difficulties when testing alcohol in blood to determine if alcohol had been abused. Due to these challenges in testing alcohol consumption behaviours across society, in the most recent decades, intensive research has been... Read More

23rd May 2019
The impact of alcohol on your mental and physical health

The impact of alcohol on your mental and physical health

Many people are able to enjoy drinking alcohol in moderation, but there can be some serious side effects when a person binge drinks or drinks heavily over a long period of time. There are short and long-term effects of alcohol that can negatively impact your physical and mental health. The... Read More

21st February 2018
Blog

Nearly 60% of adults drink alcohol due to stress

A recent research study by YouGov has revealed that almost 60% of adults in the UK are drinking alcohol in order to cope with the stress of every day life. The main objectives of the research were to provide an overview of adults’ drinking behaviour in the UK, explore the motivations for... Read More

30th January 2018

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