Debunking Drug Myths

As drug testing in the workplace becomes commonplace, especially in safety-sensitive positions, some everyday myths about the topic circulate. DISA Global Solutions has the expert knowledge to help settle those myths and provide a better understanding of the employee screening industry and its procedures.

The following myths are common, but not entirely true.

Poppy Seeds Will Fail Your Drug Test for Morphine

Poppy seeds can be found as a main ingredient in many of the foods you eat on a daily basis. Morphine and sometimes Codeine can be found in poppy seeds, and although poppy seeds can trigger a positive drug test result, an individual would have to consume a significant amount for it to show up on a test. In order to prevent a false-positive drug test result due to poppy seeds, the U.S. Federal Government has raised the testing threshold for Morphine and Codeine to 2,000 ng/ml from 300, so such mistakes can no longer be made.

Second-Hand Marijuana Smoke Will Make You Fail Your Drug Test

 A recent study published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) states that unless you are locked in an unventilated room for hours on end inhaling only marijuana smoke from other users, then testing positive for secondhand marijuana is most likely not going to happen. When non-smoking participants were placed in a room with cannabis users for three hours of continuous smoking, the non-smoking participants only had a small amount of THC present in their blood, which was well below the amount needed to fail a drug test.

Trying Drugs Just Once Can’t Get You Addicted

Addiction is a fragile thing, and just because you only try a drug one time, doesn’t mean you can’t get hooked for life. There is no detection as to when exactly an individual will get addicted to a drug, that’s why the best way to prevent addiction is to not do drugs in the first place. Just one try could lead to a lifelong dependency and a failed drug test.

You Can Cheat on Drug Tests

Those who attempt to cheat on a drug test won’t be fooling the MROs (Medical Review Officers). There are various products marketed to cleanse or detox the body of any drugs in your system if used before taking a drug test. These products are fooling the consumer into believing that they will flush out or completely remove the drug from their system.

In reality, our strategic and certified lab partners screen for specific gravity, pH, and creatinine levels to identify adulteration attempts. Once you have taken a drug, there is no way to remove it from your body other than letting it fade out over time. Once it is in your system, it is stored in fat cells, where it will stay for an extended period of time, depending on the drug.

Legal Drugs While Traveling Are Excused on Drug Tests

Whether you’re in a legal marijuana state or somewhere outside the U.S., the laws on drug use can vary. Some people believe that if they go on vacation and use a legal recreational drug, it’s a valid excuse for a positive on a drug test. If your workplace drug tests and you partake in drug use while traveling, you can still lose your job because you violated your company policy. Although the laws may vary in different places depending on the drug, that does not necessarily mean that you have a free pass.

Are you an employer and still have questions regarding employment screening?

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