Can You Trick a Drug Test?

You might be panicking right now because your boss or parole officer told you they could drug test you at any time. So, if you need to, can you trick a drug test? We doubt it.

Since drug tests have existed, people have been trying fake negative results. Once enough people try to trick a drug test using a particular method, drug testing companies find a way to combat it. This has led to a perpetual game of cat-and-mouse. Whether a sample of your urine, saliva, hair, or even blood has been taken for a drug test, you simply won’t be able to evade your results.

 

Urine Drug Tests

Urine tests are the most common method of drug testing because they’re so readily available. Employers, parents, and parole officers don’t need a lab or medical license to administer the test. Due to this, urine tests are usually the type of test that people refer to when they talk about fooling a drug test. 

About 20 years ago, these tests were easy to deceive. Nowadays, it’s not so simple. The most common ways that people attempt to trick a urine drug test are:

Diluted Samples

This is arguably the most common way that people try to trick a urine test. People will drink a copious amount of water before the test to flush illegal substances out of their system.

The easiest way to detect whether or not a urine sample has been diluted is from its color. The sample should be at least a pale yellow. If the sample appears clear or extremely light, the chances are that the person you’re testing attempted to dilute the sample. In addition, drug testers can perform “validity checks.” A validity check is a measurement to determine whether or not the urine sample has been diluted. Validity checks measure the urine’s creatinine level. If the urine’s creatinine level is between 2 and 20 mg/dL, the urine is diluted. Testers can also measure urine’s specific gravity, which is essentially the concentration of the sample itself. If the urine is diluted, its specific gravity will be between 1.001 and 1.003.

Substituted Samples

In desperation, people will often try to trick a drug test by using another person’s urine, but this doesn’t work because they typically aren’t able to keep it at a body temperature for long enough for them to be able to pass the test. Modern drug tests are easily able to detect synthetic urine or urine from an animal, so that won’t work either.

Detoxification

Another trick that people try to use is detoxification. This means ingesting certain herbs, diuretics, or taking a detox supplement. This no longer works because drug tests can detect this.

 

Saliva Drug Tests

Employers prefer to use saliva drug tests because they’re inexpensive and quick. The most common way that people attempt to trick a saliva drug test is by consuming a high amount of water and swishing it around in their mouth before the test. People try to outsmart saliva drug tests by gargling with a mouthwash or hydrogen peroxide before the test. Neither of the methods will work because the saliva in your mouth will equilibrate every 10 minutes, and drug testers will ensure that nothing is in your mouth for at least 10 minutes before your drug test.

 

Hair Drug Tests 

People love to use hair drug tests because, unlike urine or oral swab tests, their detection window goes back as far as 90 days. This means that it is the drug test with the longest time frame. Hair drug tests are most commonly court-ordered, meaning that the process of collection is closely monitored.

There are several ways that people attempt to alter the results of a hair drug test:

Wearing a Wig 

This just doesn’t work because people can spot a wig from a mile away. This could be if the wig were 100% human hair and well installed, but this is extremely expensive. Furthermore, the court will notice if you walk in with a drastically different hairstyle that you typically wear, and they will have quite a few questions for you.

Shaving Your Head

If you choose to shave your head to try and get out a hair drug test, they’ll simply collect body hair from you. If you decided to take it to the next level and remove all of your body hair as well, you’d just end up being forced to do a urine, blood, or even a fingernail test. Also, they can still drug test your body hair once it grows back.

Bleaching Your Hair

This one doesn’t even make any sense. Bleaching your hair will not ensure that you pass the drug test. This is because, no matter what chemicals you put on your hair, the drug test screens the inside of your hair follicle.

 

Blood Drug Tests

When all else fails, you will be met with a blood drug test. These are not commonly used because while they are the most accurate, they are expensive to perform. If you are summoned for a blood drug test, the test will be done by a licensed medical professional. Because of this, there is no room for you to swap out blood samples or tamper with the test. During the test, your finger will be pricked, and the sample will be well-sealed. The only downfall of blood drug testing is that it has a tiny window of detection. A blood drug test can only detect drug use within the past few hours. 

 

Countrywide Testing

If you require reliable and accurate drug testing, Countrywide Testing is here to help. We are an online retailer of drug and alcohol testing and lab services, and we also have a variety of resources available to you. Our products include pregnancy tests, medical supplies, multi-panel drug tests, and more. We also work with a SAMHSA, ISO, CLIA, and CAP licensed laboratory, which means you can rest easy knowing your samples get processed by a government-trusted facility.

If you are interested in learning more about our services, contact us today to learn more!

 

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