Pre-employment Drug Screening

In today's workforce, employers are screening potential candidates by performing extensive background checks. Some companies will administer credit checks, reference checks and drug testing. Drug testing is usually the screening process that most people fear. If you have used recreational drugs or are currently a user of recreational drugs, you have a good reason to fear this test. Of course, the worst is the random drug testing guidelines. Your employer will tell you that the screening is necessary because they are obligated to their customers to provide certain level of quality (blah, blah, blah). Translation, some idiot was dumb enough to go to work under the influence ruined it for everyone.

What are they looking for?

If an employer is going to administer a pre-employment drug test, you should first make sure it is legal in your state. It is not likely you will luck up and pre-employment drug screening is illegal in your state, but it never hurts to do the research. Companies will test an individual for a variety of substances. Most corporations test for five (5) types of drugs: Cannabinoids (Marijuana, Hashish), Cocaine (Cocaine, Crack, Benzoylecognine), Amphetamines (Amphetamines, Methamphetamines, Speed), and Phencyclidine (PCP, Angel Dust). Each substance will temporarily remain in your system for an inconvenient length of time. The duration really depends on your usage and the quality of the product consumed by the user. No one can tell you with 100% certainty the amount of time a substance will be detectable in your system. Everyone's body functions differently so it really does depend on the person. Here are some estimates for some commonly used drugs:

• Alcohol 6 to 24 hours
• Marijuana (THC) 7 to 30 days
• Cocaine 2 to 5 days
• Methadone 3 to 5 days

Testing Methods:

An employer may choose to retrieve a urine, hair, saliva, and/or sweat samples from a potential candidate. Hair and urine samples are the most commonly used samples for pre-employment testing. The sample that is the most accurate is the hair sample. Traces of the substance are stored in the hair shaft. Labs usually use a small portion straight from the scalp and the rest is discarded. Hair shaft detection time really depends on how fast your hair grows. Random drug testing procedures may require a saliva sample. Sweat is retrieved for testing a child for drug use.

Don't panic!

If you are planning to interview for a new position, it would just be smart to stop using your drug of choice until you have secured your position. There are circumstances that may not give you the time to allow the body to cleanse naturally. An individual that is working on a tight timeline can use a variety of methods to rid your body of the substance.

*Beware some test can detect masking agents that can result in dismissal or job offer retraction.

If you are a user of alcohol, cocaine, or methadone, I would suggest attempting to delay the test until your system is clean. You could also consume products that may help in getting a false reading. You can take Vitamin B pills or try eating a poppy seed bagel right before the test. A false reading will warrant a retest and will buy you more time to clean your system. Marijuana stays in you body the longest and may require additional help. Several products are available to help trick the test. You can also choose to detoxify. Marijuana produces THC and stores it in your fat cells, which makes it much harder to remove from the body. A complete detox of your body is a method that can be uncomfortable but effective. Visit your local health store or GNC and purchase a detox kit. A simple test on the internet will return a long list of products. They are available in teas, liquid fruit drinks and/or capsule forms. Purchase the detox kit and carefully follow the instruction.

*Be sure to drink plenty of water with this method, you must be careful not to dehydrate yourself. The water will also help pass the waste out of your body.

If you do have time to allow the body to cleanse, you can use more natural and less abrasive means. You can drink plenty of water (above the average 8 to 10 6 oz cup), 100% cranberry juice and plenty of exercise for about two to three weeks should help remove the substance for you fat cells. The exercise helps you to sweat. Sweat helps the body excrete waste.

*If your company performs random drug testing, I advise you just simply QUIT!

How can I be sure the cleansing methods worked?

To ensure the substances are out of your body, you can purchase a home drug kits. You can purchase a drug testing kit from your local pharmacy. First Check offers home drug kits for hair and urine samples. The drug kits can cost between $10 and $60. The home drug kits can detect Tricyclic Antidepressants, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, Methadone, Oxycodone, Marijuana, Cocaine, Opiates (Heroin), Methamphetamine, Ecstasy, Amphetamine, and Phencyclidine (PCP). The kits are as accurate as 99.9%. For individuals that would like the test verified by an expert, the kits have mailing instructions to send the sample to a lab.

If you are just curious how long your body naturally removes the substances from your body, try performing an experiment. Purchase several home drug kits and discontinue drug use. Test your urine and/or hair every week until you receive a negative reading. This will give an idea of how long your body removes substances from your body.

References:

Wikipedia, (2008) The Free Encyclopedia. Drug Test. Retrieved 02 Feb 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_test