Businesses are cracking down more than ever on potential employees that abuse drugs and alcohol. While recreational use of legalized substances is common, regular use can have a negative impact on a person’s body, mind, and productivity in the workplace. Passing a drug test is now essential for specific job opportunities within the recruitment process.
Over time, drug users in the workplace have tried various ways to “beat the system.” In response, drug tests and those conducting them have become more savvy at detecting tampered drug tests.
This article will focus on how to recognize a tampered test, how individuals try to manipulate their results, and the best way to pass confidently.
How to Pass a Drug Test: What “Experts” May Tell You
The main types of drug tests measure urine, hair, saliva, sweat, and blood. Hair tests are able to recognize drugs in the system for up to 90 days, which is the longest of all types. Urine is the most common, with each drug having its own shelf life in the system.
Urine samples can detect the following drugs:
- Marijuana: 1 to 30 days
- Alcohol: 10 to 12 hours
- Barbiturates: Up to 7 days
- Benzodiazepines: Up to 7 days
- Amphetamines: 2 to 4 days
- Heroin: 2 to 3 days
- MDMA (or Ecstacy): Up to 2 days
- Cocaine: 1 to 3 days
- Morphine: 2 to 5 days
- Methadone: Up to 3 days
- Oxycodone: 2 to 4 days
- PCP (Phencyclidine): 5 to 6 days
Ways That People Try to Pass Drug Tests
When it comes to learning how to pass a drug test, “experts” will offer different solutions. While these solutions may work in certain situations, many individuals conducting the tests are now able to see that the test is tampered with. These solutions include:
- Diluting the sample. When it comes to urine tests, those conducting them will not be able to observe you in the bathroom directly. This opens up the opportunity for a potential employee to dilute the sample with water or other liquids. Some people also take a detox approach by attempting to drink lots of water or “detox” drinks beforehand. Experts believe that flooding your body with liquids can get rid of the drugs in your system faster. It is also common for people to attempt to “sweat out” the substances by using a sauna.
- Substituting your urine. Some people attempt to borrow urine from a friend or family member that’s drug and alcohol-free, collect synthetic urine, or take urine from an animal. While this is a common method on television shows, those that conduct drug tests know to be aware of such things.
- Adulteration of the sample. Experts also encourage creating confusion in order to disrupt a test’s ability to detect drugs in the system. This may include bleach, iodine, detergent, vinegar, and more. This is a risky move but has been said to work in the past.
What to Look For When Tampering is Suspected
Some people are willing to do whatever it takes in order to acquire or keep a job. While risky, tampering with a drug test is not uncommon. Here is what to look for:
- Pay attention to the characteristics of the urine. The color and odor of the urine is usually a telltale sign of tampering. For example, urine detoxifiers often create an unnatural coloration, while bleach and vinegar have a distinct odor. Detergents usually cause urine to froth in an unnatural way. Fresh urine is also between 32 and 38 degrees Celsius, so another sign of tampering may be cooler urine.
- Use adulteration test strips. In recent years test strips have become available that can detect possible adulterations of urine. They are able to pick up on glutaraldehyde, nitrites, oxidants, and more.
- Use spot testing. This allows you to analyze the color of the urine in a more detailed way. Overall, this helps you understand the difference between natural urine and urine that was adulterated.
Passing Drug Test: The Only Way to Pass With Confidence
The only way to know for sure that you will receive a passing drug test is to avoid drugs and alcohol. It’s important to do so for at least 90 days before your test.
While urine tests won’t be able to detect substances after 7 days, hair analysis can for up to 3 months.
Contact Soteria Drug Screen Laboratories Today
At Soteria Screening Laboratories, we know the importance of a drug-free, alcohol-free workplace. Our goal is to help your business thrive, and that starts with having productive employees that help to build a culture of integrity.
We have been serving businesses for over 20 years. Contact us and set up drug screenings today.
