Marijuana Cocaine Opiates Phencyclidine (PCP) Amphetamines
Alcohol MDMA (ecstasy) Barbiturates Propoxyphene Benzodiazepines
Amphetamine: 2 days Barbiturates: 2 days-3 weeks Benzodiazepines: 3 days (therapeutic dose); 4-6 weeks (habitual use) Cocaine: 4 days Ecstasy: 2 days Heroin: 2 days Marijuana: 2-7 days (single use); 1-2+ months (habitual use) Methamphetamine: 2 days Morphine: 2 days PCP: 8-14 days (single use); 30 days (chronic users)
Are on the job market Are on probation Are in a profession that requires occasional random drug testing
One method of diluting the sample involves adding liquid to urine. However, the temperature of the urine is measured by drug tests, and diluted urine is easily detected. Another method of diluting the sample is to flush your system by drinking excessive amounts of water. However, drinking excessive amounts of water can be dangerous (people have died from water intoxication) and risky because colorless urine arouses suspicion, possibly flagging the sample. You will likely be asked to provide another sample after a few hours, which will not be enough time for your body to rid itself of drug traces.
Drink 3-4 glasses of water the morning of your test. Pee at least twice before providing a urine sample. Your early morning urine will have the highest concentration of drugs in your system. Give your body some time to flush these chemicals out, and never use your first pee of the day in a drug test. Drink a coffee or caffeinated soda. Caffeine is a mild diuretic, which can help your body flush out fluids more quickly.
Be aware that defrauding the urine test might be a crime. In many states, it is illegal to substitute someone else’s urine for your own. This could be considered an act of criminal fraud, and you might be putting your job, employment, or legal status at risk. Consider carefully whether it is worth the risk to attempt to defraud a urine test. Synthetic urine comes in two basic forms: the liquid type found in smoke shops that is similar to what is used to calibrate lab equipment; or vials of a powdered concentrate that can be added to a few ounces of warm water. Both are kept in a delivery device with a temperature meter. One of the challenges of urine substitution is ensuring that the urine remains at a normal body temperature (91-97 degrees Fahrenheit). Some labs are now testing for synthetic urine. For your legal protection, it is critical that you do not use this method for any government tests including military, civil service, and especially probation. The liquid premixed urine has a couple of drawbacks as it doesn’t have a head or small layer of bubbles on the surface and it has no smell. Powdered synthetic urine does. Many labs and collection sites will reject your specimen if they suspect it is synthetic and ask you to urinate under direct observation. Substituting another person’s urine might also be risky, since it is possible that they will not pass the drug test either. Urine also darkens over time, and bacteria can grow, contaminating the sample. If deterioration becomes noticeable the lab may suspect something.
Hair drug testing can show the drugs a person may have used over the past several months. It is a more accurate test of long-term drug use than a urine or blood test. A hair drug test involves cutting 50-80 strands of hair from the back of the head, close to the crown. Note that even though the drug test is often referred to as a “hair follicle” test, your skin will not be broken in this test. A minimum length of 1. 5 inches of head hair is necessary for the test. If this length of hair is unavailable (such as when the person being tested has a crew cut), body hair such as face, chest, or arm hair can be used.
For this reason, some employers and agencies will require that you take both a hair test (for long-term drug use) and a urine test (for short-term drug use).
Marijuana Cocaine Opiates Amphetamines (including ecstasy, meth, and molly) PCP
Benzodiazepines Methadone Barbiturates Propoxyphene Oxycontin Demerol Tramadol
It is particularly difficult for people with dark colored hair to fool a hair follicle test. For this reason, there are many claims that hair drug tests are ethnically biased and racist. [10] X Research source
A potential home remedy that has been rumored to be successful involves rinsing your hair with white vinegar, salicylic acid, and laundry detergent, followed by using a temporary hair dye. This treatment is unproven but is also relatively inexpensive and, as long as you keep these chemicals out of your eyes, has few side effects. Some studies show that cosmetically treated hair is less likely to show traces of cocaine. [11] X Research source
Marijuana and hashish (THC): An hour after ingestion, and up to 24 hours depending on use. Cocaine (including crack): From time of ingestion up to 2 to 3 days. Opiates: From time of ingestion up to 2 to 3 days. Methamphetamine and ecstasy: From time of ingestion up to 2 to 3 days. Benzodiazepines: From time of ingestion up to 2 to 3 days.
During the hiring process. You do not have to submit to a blood test as a job applicant. However, a potential employer can make passing a drug test a requirement of a conditional job offer once it is extended to you. [19] X Research source For example, this may be the case if you are being hired for a substance use treatment facility, psychiatric hospital, etc. If you are a pregnant woman in the hospital. In the United States, some states have required pregnant women to be tested for illegal drug use as part of their prenatal care. The US Supreme Court ruled the secret testing of women unconstitutional in the case of Ferguson v City of Charleston, in March 2001. However, women who arrive to deliver in a hospital have their blood tested routinely. A delivering mother could face endangerment charges or even worse if traces are found in her blood. [20] X Research source If you operate a vehicle or heavy machinery. Jobs where lives might be put in danger when an employee is impaired–such as construction or truck driving–often require routine tests for impairment. [21] X Research source If you have a federal or government job. If you exhibit suspicious behavior. If you commit an accident in the workplace, have slurred speech, or behave erratically, your employer might require you to take a drug test as a condition of your employment. [22] X Research source
The ADA makes it illegal for any employer to test a prospective employee without first making a conditional offer of employment. The ADA also says you can’t discriminate against prospective employees on the basis of past drug-related problems. Then again, you may refuse to hire people if you have reason to believe they will return to substance abuse or endanger the safety and health of your workers. If you aren’t sure how to proceed with an applicant who has a history of drug abuse, consult an attorney. The ADA doesn’t prohibit asking a person with a history of substance abuse to enroll in a rehabilitation program before joining your firm. [23] X Research source
Secondhand smoke. Cut-off levels are set so as to keep one failing due to casual secondhand smoke. Poppy Seeds. The current recommended cutoff level was raised from 300 ng/mL to 2,000 ng/mL in 1998 in order to avoid false positives from poppy seeds You would need to eat a whole loaf of poppy seed to register for even one day. [24] X Research source Bleach. Adding bleach to nullify a urine sample will change the pH and flag the sample as being tampered and you will fail. Drinking bleach will blind you and maybe kill you. [25] X Research source Aspirin. Aspirin has been claimed to create a false negative for THC. This only works under ideal circumstances and only for certain kinds of test. It is not a guarantee of passing. Bleaching and redyeing your hair will not remove the metabolites from hair during the hair follicle test. However, natural blondes are more likely to pass a hair follicle test.
