The Most Common Drug Tests And Methods To Pass Them

Drug test is done to determine the presence of drugs or its metabolites through analysis of a specimen taken from the subject being tested such as hair, sweat, saliva, blood or urine. It is usually conducted in workplaces, schools and hospitals for detection and prevention of drug abuse and also in crime investigations. Urine test is the most common type of drug test because it is cost-effective, non-invasive and can screen a wide range of illicit drugs. Other non-invasive screening methods for drug use are the saliva, sweat and hair tests. Blood test, on the other hand, involves invasive procedures.

Urine Test

Urinalysis, considered as the gold standard of drug testing, is done by collecting urine sample into special testing cups. Usually, person is required to collect about 30-60 ml of urine. The sample is then subjected to some biochemical tests to check for presence of certain illicit substances. Negative results may not always mean that a person is free from drug abuse since there are many possible ways to adulterate urine test results. One of them is sample substitution, may it be by using synthetic urine in liquid or powdered form mixed with water or urine taken from another donor. Warmers may be one of the tricks to keep the urine substitute at the correct temperature. Another method is detoxification from the drugs done days or even hours prior to passing the test. It may take days or weeks in some detox methods such as exercises, herbal teas and supplements, diuretics and drinking water, as well as high fiber and antioxidant diet, but for premixed detox drinks and supplements it may only take few hours to cleanse the body from drugs.

Saliva Test

Saliva drug test as compared to urinalysis is much easier to perform and has lesser possibilities of result manipulation since samples are taken onsite. Saliva is collected by placing a special mouth swab between the lower gum and cheek for 2 minutes just enough to soak it with oral fluid. The swab is then transferred to a container to be analyzed for presence of drug or its metabolites. Detox mouthwashes are often used to pass saliva drug test. They contain herbals and chemicals like hazel, aloe vera, peppermint, magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride that cleanse the saliva from traces of unwanted substances.

Hair Test

Hair drug test is known for its 90-day detection period, what makes it possible to show the history of drug use. The sample collector takes approximately 100 milligrams or 90 to 100 strands of hair and sends them to the laboratory for analysis. Body hair can also be used in case person does not have enough hair on the head. Hair test is not easy to pass in case you used drugs and want to keep this information private, but it is still possible. Detox shampoos can be used to wash away drug traces from the hair follicles as well as toxins from the scalp. Results of this test may not be reliable because presence of contaminants in the hair can sometimes give false-positive results.