It is not a rare thing for employers to ask their potential employees to pass some kind of drug test. There is a number of professions, which are more likely to require drug screening.
It is not a rare thing for employers to ask their potential employees to pass some kind of drug test. There is a number of professions, which are more likely to require drug screening. For example, healthcare related ones, such as dentists. Near 50% of healthcare employers require pre-employment drug tests. In case your working place is considered drug-free, but you are a drug user, passing the test might be tricky. However, it is not impossible, if you follow a set of quite simple rules.
Table of Contents
1. Find out which drug test you will be taking and learn about the options
In most cases, employers specify which drug tests you will have to take. This way you can prepare for it beforehand. If you were unlucky and the test will be random, it is better to learn about all the types and prepare for anything. Here are the most widely used tests:
Urine test
Urinalysis is the most common drug test. This kind of screening can reveal both prescription and illegal substances. It is the easiest one to pass, because of the many working methods:
- Wait for the urine to clear naturally – this option should be used depending on the drug you are taking and on the kind of user you are. It is important to remember that THC stays in your system for 30 days! If your drug screening will take place in a month, this might do a trick, but only if you stop using substances right now;
- Use natural detox methods – again, this depends on how much time you have left before the test and how much substance you have in your system. The easiest way of detoxing is drinking plenty ow water, tea and juices. Be careful though, if you drink too much liquid on the day of the test, your diluted urine can bring up suspicions. Such products as kale, raspberries, artichokes, spinach, beets, beans, tomatoes, corn, pecans and more, are high in antioxidants. They facilitate detoxification;
- Use synthetic urine – this is one of the popular methods nowadays. The success of using fake pee depends on how strict is the testing and how sophisticated it is. You should consider different ways of smuggling it in, in order to replace the sample. Also remember to keep it the right temperature, which is about 91-97 degrees.
Blood test
This test is pretty impossible to fake. This type of screening will not only identify the substance in your blood, but the exact amount of it. The two only ways to pass it are:
- Stop using drugs immediately and hope that there is enough time for the substance to wash out of your body naturally;
- Try to postpone it, or even pick another test, if it is possible. Blood tests are often considered very intrusive and you might have a chance to swap it with the urine test for instance.
Saliva test
These tests are quite simple for the light or irregular users. For marijuana users it is enough to be 24 hours sober, because this is how long THC stays in the saliva. The other drugs can be detected if you used them within the last two days, which is still quite short. Also do not try to swap the saliva with that of your house pet, because this will be detected.
Hair follicle test
This kind is the most accurate and the most difficult to pass. You will have to remove more than 100 hairs for the sample. It will be tested in the lab and the results will show which substances you have used within up to 90 days. You can try removing all of you hair before the test, but make sure to come up with a believable explanation.
2. Carefully pick a test, if you have a choice
It is very unlikely that your employer will give you a choice, but such a scenario is not impossible. Consider all the information above, the type of drug you are using and how often, and then pick a test. Hair test, for example, will not show the substances you have used within past two weeks, but it will definitely detect drugs used much earlier.
3. Learn for how long marijuana will be detected in your body
- Random user – if you use smoke marijuana occasionally, THC can be detected in your system within 30 days in general;
- Constant user – even if you generally consume marijuana only on weekends, the substance will be present in your body for up to 90 days;
- Day to day user – for such a frequent user it is quite hard to get rid of THC in the system completely. Even if your test will be in three months, which is unlikely, you might not pass.
4. Stay hydrated
It is extremely important to drink a lot of liquid in order to dilute the urine. A great tip is taking vitamin B, so the urine will appear more yellow, because the diluted one gets more clear every time. Try urinating more, which will not be a problem after drinking a lot. This way all the toxins will wash out of your body. Remember that substance gets more concentrated overnight, in case you will have to pass the test in the morning.
5. Quit the drug screening if possible
Carefully study the law regarding drug testing in your country or state, the might be a loophole for you to refuse to take the test.
Try to avoid taking a specific test, like blood test or the hair one, say they are too intrusive and uncomfortable. Tell your employer that you have a trypanophobia (the fear of needles and injections), or come up with some other phobia.
Remember that drug screenings can also be inaccurate. Insist on taking another test if you fail, this might help you save some more time. This way your body will get cleaner and you will be able to say that the first test was mistaken.
