Wired: Cheat on a drug test(up to date)

[rxbandit]

Cheat on a Drug Test

from:
http://howto.wired.com/wiredhowtos/i...;category=Live


T he first thing to know about drug testing is what the standard test looks for. What is being tested for varies greatly based on testing company, expense, expectations, federal requirements, etc. Following is a description of what to expect from the standard tests.
The NIDA 5

Federal government guidelines (by NIDA-The National Institute on Drug Abuse and SAMHSA-the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) require that companies which use commercial class drivers licenses for employees must have a testing system in place. Among other things, this required testing program must test for 5 specific categories of drugs (sometimes referred to as the "NIDA 5"). Because of this federal requirement, most drug testing companies offer a basic drug test that checks for drugs in these 5 common categories. Click on the substance name for a description of the laboratory method for detecting the substance.

1. Cannibinoids(marijuana, hash)
2. Cocaine (cocaine, crack, benzoylecognine)
3. Amphetamines(amphetamines, methamphetamines, speed)
4. Opiates (heroin, opium, codeine, morphine)
5. Phencyclidine(PCP)

Expanded Tests

Most drug testing companies also offer an expanded test which includes a few additional drugs in the testing process. Most do not add all of these in their expanded test, but choose a different combination of 3 or 4 to add :

1. Barbituates (Phenobarbital, Secobarbitol, Butalbital)
2. Hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin)
3. Methaqualone (Qualuudes)
4. Benzodiazipines (Valium, Xanax, Librium, Serax, Rohypnol)
5. Methadone (link needed)
6. Propoxyphene (Darvon compounds) (link needed)
7. Ethanol (Alcohol)
8. MDMA (Ecstasy) (link needed)

Additional Testables

In addition, there are a few other substances which it is possible but quite unusual to test for. I only found reference to testing for these additional substances at 1 (out of 15) drug testing sites :
(links needed)

1. LSD
2. Tryptamines (Psilocybin, AMT, DMT, DPT, 5-MeO-DiPT)
3. Phenethylamines (Mescaline, MDMA, MDA, MDE, 2C-B, 2C-T-7)
4. Inhalents (Toluene, Xylene, Benzene)

TEST TYPES

There are five primary types of drug tests: urine, blood, hair, saliva, and sweat. Most common is the urine test which has the benefit of being inexpensive and less intrusive than the blood test.
Urine Tests

• Are the least expensive of the test methods (~$7-$50 for home version).
• Are considered an intrusive method of testing.
• Can be done at home (for example by parents) though require lab verification for accurate results.
• Detect use primarily within the past week (longer with regular use).
• Can be affected by abstaining from use for a period of time before the test.
• Are often temperature tested to insure sample integrity.

Saliva Tests

• Are a little more expensive than urine testing, but less than hair or blood. (~$15-$75).
• Are considered a relatively unintrusive method of drug testing.
• Are becoming more common.
• Are easy to administer but require lab processing to ensure accuracy.
• Detect use primarily within the past few days.
• Can detect more recent use than other testing methods.
• Have no nationally accepted standards or cutoff concentrations for detection, making results greatly dependent on the specific product purchased. This could also make results less-reliable and/or acceptable for legal cases.
• More reliable for detection of Methamphetamine and Opiates, less reliable for THC or Cannabinoids (2004).

Hair Tests

• Are currently several times more expensive than urine tests (~$100-$150).
• Are considered a relatively unintrusive method of drug testing.
• Detect substance use over a longer period .
• Do not usually detect use within the past week.
• Require a sample of hair about the diameter of a pencil and 1.5 inches long. They can not be done with a single hair.
• Test positive a little more than twice as often as a urine test. In a recent study, out of 1823 paired hair and urine samples, 57 urine samples tested positive for drugs of abuse; while 124 hair samples from the same group tested positive.
• Are not significantly affected by brief periods of abstinence from drugs.
• Can sometimes be used to determine when use occured and if it has been discontinued. Drugs, such as opiates (codeine, morphine, heroin) lay down on the hair shaft very tightly and are shown not to migrate along the shaft, thus, if a long segment of hair is available one can draw some "relative" conclusions about when the use occurred. However cocaine, although very easy to detect, is able to migrate along the shaft; making it very difficult to determine when the drug was used and for how long.
• Claims to be able to reliably differentiate between opiate and poppy seed use.
• We've heard that many hair tests now check for more than the NIDA 5, and include at least Cannabis, Ecstasy/MDMA, Cocaine, Opiates, Methamphetamine, Amphetamine, Phencyclidine (PCP), Benzodiazepines, & Barbiturates (2001).

Blood Tests

• Are the most expensive method of testing.
• Are considered the most intrusive method of testing.
• Are the most accurate method of testing.
• Are the least common method of testing (most likely due to cost).

Sweat (Patch) Tests

• Are considered a relatively intrusive method of drug testing because they require the wearing of a patch for an extended period of time.
• Are still relatively uncommon.
• Are controversial in terms of accuracy. There is some reason to believe that surface contamination (such as cannabis smoke) can cause a false reading.
• Can detect use which would not trigger other tests. Because of the short detection period for many drugs in urine, single use of many drugs longer than a week prior to using the patch will not cause a positive urine test. Because the skin patches are gathering sweat over an extended period of time, it is possible that any use during that time will produce a positive result.

TEST SENSITIVITY

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA) provides guidelines for what qualifies as a positive drug test. If a test does not give results higher than the guidelines, it does not qualify as a "positive" test. If an immunoassay test gives positive results, a second Gas Chromatography test must also give positive results before a result of "positive" is announced. The following chart shows the guidelines by substance.
SUBSTANCE IMMUNOASSAY GC / MS Cannabis 50 ng/ml 15 ng/ml Cocaine 300 ng/ml 150 ng/ml Opiates 300 ng/ml 300 ng/ml Amphetamines 1000 ng/ml 500 ng/ml PCP 25 ng/ml 25 ng/ml Some companies are getting around these guidelines by reporting the levels found without categorizing them as a "positive" or "negative" test. This seems to be a problem primarily with mail-in home tests rather than corporate testing.
DETECTION PERIODS

The following chart gives approximate detection periods for each substance by test type. The ranges depend on amount and frequency of use, metabolic rate, body mass, age, overall health, drug tolerance, and urine pH :
SUBSTANCE BLOOD SALIVA SWEAT URINE HAIR Alcohol unknown unknown unknown 12-24 hrs n/a Amphetamine unknown 3 days unknown 1-4 days up to 90 days Barbiturates unknown unknown unknown 1-21 days unknown Benzodiazepines unknown unknown unknown 1-42 days unknown Cannabis (single use) 2-3 days 12-24 hrs unknown 2-3 days up to 90 days Cannabis (habitual use) 2 weeks 12-24 hrs unknown up to 12 wks up to 90 days Cocaine unknown 1 day unknown 4-5 days up to 90 days Codeine/Morphine unknown 12-36 hrs unknown 2-4 days up to 90 days Heroin unknown unknown unknown 2-4 days up to 90 days Methamphetamine 1-3 days unknown unknown 3-5 days up to 90 days PCP 1-3 days 3 days unknown 3-7 days up to 90 days HOW TO PASS A DRUG TEST - GENERAL TIPS

1. Be aware there is no "magic formula" which can instantly "cleanse your system". Many products will claim to aid in passing a drug test, but none have been shown to be particularly effective.
2. Avoid using any drugs or being around others consuming drugs at least 48 hours before your deadline, a week if possible. In general, the longer the better. Your first line of defense is always abstinence.
3. For at least (2) days prior to the day of your deadline consume a minimum of (6) 16 ounce glasses of water per day. Water is a catalyst to the body's natural detoxification process. Drinking water will help to flush drug metabolites out of your body, especially when combined with healthy eating and exercise habits. Just keep some water by you and sip on it all day long. You can drink several glasses this way without having to drink the water all at once.
4. Exercise the week leading up to your deadline. Aerobic exercise raises your metabolism which assists greatly in the detoxification process. Exercise every day up to 48 hours before your drug test. To burn the metabolite-containing fat cells, exercise regularly every day (twice a day for 30 to 60 minutes if possible). Be active. Climb the stairs at work. Walk the dogs for an extra hour. Stand at your desk. Walk to the corner store instead of driving. Do whatever it takes to burn the fat and boost your metabolism - but do NOT diet. On the other hand don't gorge. (We're trying to burn fat, remember). It's much better to eat often than to overeat at any one sitting. Anyone who has ever stuffed themselves knows that they certainly don't feel a big boost of energy afterwards. Eat things that give you energy, but avoid excesses of quick metabolism boosters such as coffee, sugar and Red Bull. Especially when taken in large quantities, these will be consumed by the body quickly and lead your metabolism to 'crash' as soon as the sugar and caffeine runs out. You want to keep your body metabolism at a steady, hearty pace all day long.
5. Incorporate a healthy diet the week prior to your personal deadline. High fat foods, greasy foods (particularly butters, cream sauces, and fried foods) and junk foods have been shown to slow the detoxification process. Eat fiber, carbohydrates, vegetables and foods high in protein as normal. Do NOT skip breakfast. Eat often throughout the day, but avoid eating late at night when your body has nothing to do with those extra calories other than store them as fat. Do NOT go on a crash diet to burn fat. When you diet your body panics because it thinks you're starving. Your metabolism will drop and your body will hold on to those fat cells even tighter than before.
6. Consume only light meals the day of your personal deadline.
7. Avoid alcoholic beverages, over the counter drugs and unnecessary medications.
8. Maintaining Creatinine Levels is a Key. THIS IS REAL IMPORTANT STUFF: Creatinine is a natural protein created by the body and is usually excreted in the urine at fairly constant concentrations. When the urine is diluted by frequent urination and extra hydration, the creatinine level in the urine will drop. Creatinine levels are tested for in labs and a low creatinine level may indicate to the lab that you have attempted to flush your system of drugs. If the product does not reestablish your normal balance, including Creatinine, any drug test kit can tell the tester you have tried to mask the results. You could be ordered to do a retest. A retest might return a negative, but your use could still be in question with your employer. This is why drinking the right amount of water and taking our PreCleanse capsules is critical before your analysis to flush the unwanted metabolites from the fatty tissue. You then take our products and flush the metabolites from your system for a four hour period and then these products reestablish the normal and natural balance for that same period of time. All ingredients are all natural and can not be detected under any circumstances. Any samples taken within this 5 hour window will show negative.

THINGS THAT DO NOT WORK AND COULD CAUSE ONE TO FAIL

Various techniques have been running around for some time on how to beat a urine drug test. Most of these techniques are known and the tests and testing methods have been adjusted to compensate for their use. Let's look at some of the most common techniques.
SAMPLE SUBSTITUTION or adulteration has become a significant issue due to the prevalence of synthetic and/or drug-free urine and a wide range of adulterants available on the internet. Some are very effective, but are of dubious value because they are easily detectable. As an example, one of the often used methods to test for adulterants is to add some amount of an actual drug to a small portion of the sample and then retest that portion. If a masking agent is present in the urine, the resulting drug test will have a negative result despite the fact that a drug was added. This situation is also usually reported to whomever ordered the test.
DRINKING LOTS OF WATER - Some people might attempt to defeat a urine test by drinking copious amounts of water. However, a sufficiently diluted sample may be rejected due to its clear color. Samples that are too clear may be flagged and tested for specific gravity and/or the presence of creatinine. If the sample fails one or both of these tests, the sample is rejected and the dilution is reported to the entity that ordered the test and could even result in a failure as some testing entities will not allow a retest. Our products specifically allow for this and reestablish a normal balance in the subjects system. This is so critical.

*GOLDENSEAL, CAFFINE, ASPIRIN, ETC - Some diuretics and herbal extracts, such as goldenseal, are marketed as quick "detoxification". Many types of urinalysis can detect the use of these "detox" products. There are also many "Home Remedies" that are going around about passing a drug test. They also can not work. Trust the science.


WAYS FOR PASSING DRUG TESTS THAT DO NOT WORK
Drink Lots of Water Drink Cranberry or Fruit Juices Take Goldseal Drink Pickle Juice Force Frequent Urination Drink Vinegar Excessive Exercise Shave Your Scalp Take Diuretics Take Aspirin Place Ammonia in Sample Place Bleach in Sample Place Drano in Sample Place Juice in Sample Place Visine in Sample Over Consumption of Protein, Fat and/or Carbohydrates

[trptamene]

Require a sample of hair about the diameter of a pencil and 1.5 inches long. They can not be done with a single hair.

That sounds like a huge chunk of hair and could cause a bad hair day for quite a while, that just isn't right I don't think. I would refuse a hair drug test based on this.