Busting the Common Myths about Drug Testing
If you’ve ever applied for a job, you have at some point probably been required to submit to a drug test at the time of employment. Drug testing is a common tool used by businesses, institutions, and governmental bodies to monitor drug use among employees or participants, as the results can indicate use of a wide range of illicit substances. It’s beneficial for businesses in reducing the risk of liability in the workplace and is used to demonstrate compliance with court-ordered abstinence from illegal substances.
Despite the prolific use of drug testing in Flowood, MS, there are many myths surrounding the practice, most of which are centered on ways to circumnavigate detection. Those misconceptions usually stem from ignorance of the testing mechanisms and how the body metabolizes the byproducts of drug use. Read on to learn more about some of the myths pertaining to drug screens and how they can be debunked with knowledge.
Supplements and Home Remedies Will Help You Pass
While you may be able to find countless anecdotes of drug tests passed with the help of supplements such as niacin, parley tea, celery seed, goldenseal, or cranberry juice, there’s no credible evidence that indicates any of these substances can mask the presence of drugs in your system. People may swear by the efficacy of these home remedies, but none of them have been proven to help anyone pass a legitimate drug screen.
You Can Flush Your System with Water
It may seem correct that drinking massive amounts of water in a short period can help you pass a drug test but doing so can cause the results of your test to appear suspicious. It’s true that consuming a large amount of water can help dilute drug metabolites in your system and make it more difficult to detect them. However, it will also be evident that there was an attempt to dilute the results which will arouse suspicion. Therefore, your results may be declared negative but diluted, which will usually warrant a second test. It can also justify a test that can’t as easily be gamed, such as a hair follicle test.
Secondhand Smoke Is Detectable
Some believe that exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke can put you at increased risk of failing a drug screen. While it’s true that you may be exposed to some of the active ingredients of the drug through secondhand smoke, the amounts are minimal and would likely not register on a test. For someone to test positive from secondhand smoke only, there would have to be heavy exposure in an enclosed space for a long period.
Exercising Before a Test Helps You Pass
It’s true that some drug metabolites, particularly those that result from marijuana use, are stored in fat cells and can be retained for an extended period. However, exercising intensively immediately before a drug test won’t help flush your system of those markers. If you have a month or more to prepare for a drug test, then fervent exercise may help. But brief intense periods of physical activity immediately preceding a test won’t do anything to help you pass.
Hemp Products Won’t Produce Positive Results
With hemp-derived substances such as lotions, hair care products, and foods becoming more popular, many people legally use products that may contain trace amounts of THC. Others use cannabidiol, or CBD, products for a wide range of medicinal purposes. CBD is derived from hemp, which contains a lower amount of THC than marijuana. While those products are legally produced and have little THC in them, there’s a slight chance that heavy use of hemp products or CBD immediately before a drug screen could produce a positive result even if no marijuana had been consumed. If you know a drug test is in your immediate future, consider abstaining from hemp-based products until after the test.
There are many myths surrounding drug tests, but most of them are easy to debunk with knowledge of the testing mechanisms and the way the human body processes the drugs. To learn more about busting the common myths about drug testing, contact Mobile Drug Screen at (601) 812-8546.