Last updated : November 18, 2024
First and foremost, there’s only one sure way to pass a mouth swab drug test. That’s by not using drugs. However, many drug users are desperate to pass a company drug test. Moreover, they may resort to any means to produce a false positive result. According to the word on the street (and on the internet), there are ways to “pass” the test even though you’ve recently used drugs.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved the use of mouth swab testing as a viable means of drug testing the safety-sensitive workforce. However, employers are unable to submit them yet because there hasn’t been a laboratory approved by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to process the tests. Word is it shouldn’t be much longer though. We will keep you posted.
Companies not regulated by the DOT can use any test method they wish, as long as it hasn’t been banned by the state. Many employers use the urine drug test, but some use the mouth swab test. also known as the oral fluid or saliva drug test.
They are accurate, affordable, and detect drug use for up to 24 hours before the test.
Employer drug testing policies
The main reason that employers drug test is to discourage drug use in the workplace. Employees inhibited by drug use are prone to accidents, have lower productivity, and are absent more frequently than non-drug users.
As stated above, companies not regulated to use the urine drug test may choose the saliva drug test for employee drug testing. Some companies only require that an applicant pass a pre-employment drug test upon hiring in. In addition, others have several situations noted in their policies that would require a drug test.
- Random — A random drug test is conducted by entering all employees’ names into a pool. At specified times throughout the year, a predetermined number of names are drawn from the employee pool. Those whose names are drawn report immediately for drug testing.
- Reasonable suspicion — This drug test differs from the random drug test because it focuses on a particular employee who is exhibiting observable signs of impairment.
- Probation — An employee who tested positive for drugs, but completes the required rehabilitation program, may be presented with the opportunity to return to work. In this case, the employer subjects the employee to a preset number of drug tests throughout the probationary period.
- Post-accident — An accident in the workplace is serious business. Post-accident drug tests help employers determine who and what are responsible for causing the accident.
Falsifying results
We’ve already determined that you can’t falsify the results of an oral fluid test. The reason is that your body is constantly producing saliva. Saliva is one of the places where drug metabolites show up as they are being excreted from the body.
Another fact to consider is that at no time is the employee out of sight of the technician administering the test. This makes it impossible to switch one sample with another. The test swab remains in the employee’s mouth for a few minutes. Then, the technician places it directly into the individual transport bag.
Myths proved false
Drug users faced with a company drug test try many different ways to avoid detection. An internet search looking for ways to beat this test yields pages of results. Some are complete with videos from people who were supposedly successful.
Apparently, YouTube and Vemo don’t consider such videos to be unethical because they abound online.
Refrain from using
Some “how to beat the oral fluids test” type posts urge users to refrain from drug use. This, of course, makes the most sense when someone hopes to falsify results. The window of detection is relatively short when employers use a saliva drug test. Drug users are urged to look up the amount of time their drug of choice is detectable and stop using long enough to pass.
Brush your mouth
Some “tutorials” proclaim that you must use a specific toothpaste, such as Crest Fresh and White or a brand of toothpaste that contains baking soda and peroxide. The instructions are to brush your teeth, tongue, and inside of your cheeks profusely. Repeat the process for added benefit.
Rinse and spit
Rinsing your mouth with both hydrogen peroxide and mouthwash removes drug metabolites from your mouth for a short period of time. No one mentions the fact that the body is constantly producing saliva though, so there’s that.
Mints
Peppermint is a popular fix according to the “pass the test” accolades. It reportedly blocks the mouth swab drug test from detecting drug metabolites. Altoids are very strong and are often proclaimed to get the job done best.
Gum
There is a company that has created a gum with little packets of hydrogen peroxide inside of it. Supposedly, if you pop a piece in your mouth before the test and swish the contents of the popped packet, you are sure to pass the test. However, it won’t work for the reason mentioned above.
Don’t smoke cigarettes
Apparently, smoking cigarettes before a mouth swab drug test can null and void any attempts you make to mask the results. The claim is that smoking opens up cells and taste buds in the mouth. This releases more saliva into your mouth which contains the drug metabolites.
Well, at least this one sort of mentions the fact that the mouth is constantly releasing saliva…
Flush your system
Supposedly, drinking lots of water flushes your body’s system of drug metabolites. Also, chewing on as much ice as possible is another means of “flushing” the system. These methods dilute the saliva making it impossible to detect drugs.
That part might be true, but the heavily diluted specimen is going to come back with an inconclusive result which means that the employee must retest. And, some companies stipulate that the second test be observed.
Swishing bleach
We aren’t even going to kid around with this one for a second.
Never put bleach into your mouth. Anyone who believes this is a viable method to falsify a drug test is taking a huge risk. They likely won’t take a drug test at all because they will be on their way to the ER instead.
Good grief!
THC specific
Because marijuana legalization is a hot topic, we found some weed-specific information pertaining to the mouth swab drug test.
Did you realize that because the body stores THC in the fat cells eating loads of fatty foods just before a mouth swab test works? It’s proclaimed that all the THC metabolites in your mouth attach to the food while you’re eating it.
It’s a good thing we weren’t eating when we discovered this myth. We laughed so hard, we might have choked!
Abstinence for life
Drug addicts aren’t likely to abstain from using for a while and then do a quick “drug testing near me” search to book an appointment to ensure they can pass the company test. Instead, they are more apt to try to mask the fact that they use by implementing one of the techniques above.
We want to repeat that the best way to pass a mouth swab drug test is not to use them.
We suggest that be the case all day, every day. Drug use is not the carefree lifestyle that is often depicted in the movies or on television. It may seem that way at first, but it has a way of sucking you into addiction.
Addicts put their drug of choice before everything else. This includes their jobs, families, and personal safety.
Everyone deserves to be safe at work. Continuing to enforce a drug-free workplace with employee drug testing is a wise choice.
