Illicit drug abuse is a serious problem that employers have to deal with every day. It does not only place employees at risk, but it can cut into company profits and reputation as well. That’s perhaps the reason why most employers are in the practice of using drug tests.

Even though companies put so much importance on drug testing, some employees continue to pave their way to cheat on their drug testing. Some are too smart and know how to pass a drug test before its implementation.

To help you increase workplace safety and productivity, we highlight three common ways employees try to cheat a drug test.

Diluting Urine Samples

Diluting urine samples is arguably the most common method used to cheat on a drug and alcohol test. Over-consuming large volumes of fluids right before taking the drug testing is one way of diluting samples. Sometimes, diluting may involve directly adding water in the urine sample. Regardless of how an employee does it, the level of water content in the diluted urine specimen turned in for tests will be above average, thus diminishing visible drug levels. In case any drug content is detected, it is likely to fall below the cut off level. And, it won’t be a definite positive result. Why? Because the substance present is negligibly low.

Since the chances of getting a negative drug test are higher, most employees use this method to cheat. Although the diluted urine sample appears to be clear in color, a reputable lab likes Soteria Screening Laboratories can help you detect diluted samples. Usually, this is done by conducting other tests such as water content and temperature tests to verify sample validity.

Tricking Drug Tests by Substituting Urine Samples

Submitting a urine sample that belongs to someone else is another common way employees use to cheat drug and alcohol tests. In most cases, those who resort to this method may use either liquid urine or synthetic urine. Sometimes, other people’s or animal (often pet) urine may be used just to make sure the results come back in their favor. Some will even go to the extent of getting powdered urine packets available on the market and then mixing the contents with water in a bid to go undetected.

Usually, laboratories use temperature checks to identify substituted samples. This is because it’s not easy to maintain the temperatures of a substitute urine sample. However, employees who have resolved to do so will do just about anything. These include holding the specimen in the groin area or using devices to keep the urine sample warm.

Adulteration in Drug Tests

Adulteration refers to the act of tampering with the urine sample. Through this method, employers try to pass off an adulterated specimen in a bid to achieve two objectives. One, to affect the laboratory equipment used. Two, to hide the presence of the drug in the sample. Common adulterants used include, among others, peroxide, eye drops, vinegar, acid, lye, ammonia, soap, salt, and bleach.

Usually, what an adulterant does is alter the pH (alkalinity or acidity) of the specimen. The good news is that household chemicals are easy to detect in the laboratory. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to detect commercially available adulterants. Perhaps, this is because the manufacturers of these chemicals continue to develop new formulas to bypass laboratory detection procedures.

Over to You

Are you looking to implement a drug-free workplace? Look no further than Soteria Screening Laboratories. Whether pre-employment or random testing, we offer customized solutions to make your drug test simple, thorough, and budget-friendly. For a free needs analysis, contact us online or call us at (202) 679-6670. We would be more than happy to help!