Why Most of Drug Testing Cheating Methods Do not Work

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pass a drug test is intended to identify individuals who are using drugs, and those individuals want very much not to have their usage known. That leads to the inevitable tendency for some test takers to attempt to cheat on those tests. While an array of cheating methods have been tried over the years, these methods rarely work. Here are five reasons why this is now the case.

Temperature Checks

Many of the most common cheating methods are so easy to detect that even the least experienced tester would be able to realize the subject was trying to pull a fast one. For example, many individuals try to fool the system by using fake samples. These may be supplied by other people, purchased on the internet, or achieved through other means.

The problem with all of these samples is they are not the right temperature. Fresh urine is going to be at about body temperature. If the sample is less than that temperature, the testing agency is going to be suspicious. And trying to re-warm the urine to the appropriate temperature is nearly impossible.

Health Dangers

Some individuals try to manipulate the content of their own samples by drinking large quantities of water to dilute their urine or taking large doses of niacin to supposedly flush out their systems before the sample is taken. Both of these methods can be dangerous. So-called water loading has been the cause of death for at least one and potentially many other people. Overdosing on niacin can cause serious, life-threatening health effects.

If you suddenly begin developing health problems associated with any of the methods of trying to cheat the drug test, you are as good as caught in the act. Plus, passing a drug test is rarely worth risking your life.

Easy Detection

One of the simplest forms of cheating drug tests is adding chemicals to the urine so the sample becomes unusable thus buying the individual some time to clean up his or her system in order to provide a fresh sample. However, these added chemicals are some of the easy to spot.

If your sample has been tampered with, that's as good as announcing you are guilty of taking drugs.

Improved Testing Methods

Because of the number of attempted cheating and tampering with drug testing, many organizations and employers who use these methods have changed their strategies. Instead of using the old-fashioned urine tests, they have adopted hair follicle testing. With this method, no cheating is possible and testing can detect drug use over a much longer span of time. If you've been suspected of cheating on past drug tests, don't be surprised if this isn't the next stop on the journey.

Greater Awareness

Finally, most cheating methods don't work because they are so well known by the companies doing the testing and now by others. Parents, employers, even professional organizations such as the NFL have been informed about how drug test cheating is done. Their knowledge makes it almost impossible for you to get away with cheating on this test.