Last updated : January 20, 2025
Drug users search the internet looking for ways to create a false positive on a drug test. We’ve got news for them. It’s not going to do them any good.
The drug testing industry continues to evolve. Technological advances coupled with increasingly sophisticated laboratory equipment help lab techs weed out cheaters. They’d probably be better off to go to the boss… or probation officer… or judge… and confess that they’ve been using. There may still be consequences, but we’d dare say it would be the best avenue for them to take.
However, it’s no secret that a dishonest employee, desperate to keep their job, will try to cheat on the drug test. They’re encouraged to do so by myths they’ve heard or read online proclaiming how to “pass” a drug test.
Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for employers and the user’s coworkers, it’s nearly impossible to cheat today’s modern drug tests.
Employers test for safety’s sake
It’s a proven fact that employers who operate a drug-free workplace see a reduction in workplace accidents. It’s the number one reason that companies choose to begin drug testing. Some states even offer a reduction in workers’ comp premiums if employers of the general workforce choose to begin drug-free programs.
Employee drug testing may seem costly, but in the long run, employers save money due to the other benefits that drug testing affords them.
Billions upon billions of dollars are lost to employers each year because of drug use in the workplace. The figure stems from increased insurance premiums, loss in productivity, absenteeism, and tardiness. Additionally, we already mentioned the reduced number of drug-induced accidents in the workplace.
As the number of drug overdose deaths in our nation continues to rise, both the government and employers continue to educate the population regarding the need for drug-free workplaces.
Employers should check the drug testing laws in their state for exclusions, for the most part though, employers of the general workforce can include any of the following drug tests in their drug-free program: pre-employment, random, and post-accident drug testing. They all play a part in increasing workplace safety.
How do they try to to cheat?
The key word here is “try.” We mentioned that it’s nearly impossible to tamper with a drug test result today. The urine test has become much more accurate over the years with many “red flag” possibilities that cause lab technicians to further test a specimen.
Still, cheaters try and get over on employers in several ways.
Drinking lots of water before a urine drug test
Urine tests remain the most common employee drug testing method. They are highly accurate, offer a longer detection window than most other methods, and can determine when a test subject tries to cheat on several levels.
The most common way employees try to cheat is by drinking lots of fluids before the test. A diluted specimen reduces the levels of drug metabolites that the lab is testing for, but also flags the urine sample because creatinine levels in the urine are under the normal range. This results in a negative dilute drug test result. Most company policies require the employee to take a second—and possibly observed if deemed so by the employer—drug test.
It’s far more likely, however, that the employee will receive a positive dilute result meaning that the specimen still showed drug metabolites in the system. The usual outcome is that the employee loses their job.
Using natural or store-bought “detoxifiers”
The list of purported home remedies that will enable one to cheat on drug tests is inexhaustible. They range from consuming specific herbs to drinking certain types of teas. These could include eating burdock root and red clovers, as well as drinking herbal teas such as ginger root, green tea, mint, and Kleen tea.
Some people claim that drinking cranberry juice or vinegar also work. Commercial detoxifiers such as XXXtra Gold Cleansing Drink, Goldenseal, Mary Jane Super Clean 13, are sold to desperate consumers taking advantage of their hope to mask drug use.
It’s said that diuretics flush out the toxins left in the body after drug use. As mentioned, though, a negative dilute drug test result is the most likely result.
Adulterating urine samples
Some drug-using employees tamper with urine samples by adding certain chemicals or substances to either mask the presence of drugs or interfere with the machine’s ability to detect them. Such chemicals include bleach, soap, salt, and hydrogen peroxide.
Back in the 1980s, some abusers may have successfully passed a drug test by adulterating the specimen. That’s not the case today because modern lab technology takes this option off the table.
Substituting urine samples
Employees also try to cheat by submitting urine samples that are not their own. The sample could be from someone else or could even be synthetic. Liquid urine bottles and powdered urine packets can be bought online and their contents are mixed with water to produce a urine-like solution.
Modern lab tests can detect whether the urine sample is legitimate by measuring the temperature, pH, creatinine levels, and other factors. For instance, a man who submitted his wife’s urine failed a temperature test. On further testing, according to his urine sample, he was also pregnant.
Washing the hair with special shampoos
Hair drug tests are used for the detection of drugs such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, PCP, barbiturates, and others. Various shampoos in the market promise to cleanse the hair of any drug traces.
The problem with this approach—should it have a chance at working—is that they only clean the outside of the hair shaft. However, the entire sample is used for testing, and the drug metabolites are inside the shaft.
Using mouth rinses or brushing their teeth
In an attempt to beat mouth swab drug tests, people have been known to brush their teeth, cheeks, and tongue aggressively, chew ice, use lots of mouthwash, eat mints, and use saliva-detoxifying products. In some extreme cases, some people have also used detergent—or even bleach, which is insane— to rid their mouths of drug traces.
Due to the risk of trying to tamper with an oral drug test, employees are required to not eat or drink anything for at least 10 minutes before the test. That renders this tactic ineffective even if it does work short-term because the body is constantly producing saliva and releasing it into the mouth.
Stalling
Employees also try holding off the tests as long as possible hoping to give the drugs sufficient time to clear from the system. The body’s ability to flush out toxins will be influenced by factors such as the quantities ingested and the kind of drug. Other factors include the user’s metabolism rate, genetics, body weight, and age.
This method isn’t always effective as drug metabolites—especially marijuana metabolites—could remain in the body for a few days or even weeks. If an employee refuses to take a mandated drug test within a certain period, most drug testing policies will count that as a failure or a refusal. Both are typically fireable offenses.
No good can come of it
Attempting to cheat a drug test is typically a fireable offense, and in some cases, may even be illegal. As an employee, you could find yourself facing criminal action. This could result in serving jail time, incurring hefty fines, and if in the military, receiving a Bad Conduct Discharge.
Moreover, even if an employee manages to “put one over” on their boss, using drugs at work is a sure sign of addiction. The problem is going to present itself eventually. Hopefully, not after the user causes a workplace accident involving others. No one deserves to go to work one day and not come home again because their co-worker was using drugs on the clock.
Ultimately, the only true way to pass a drug test is to simply not use drugs. Try that, won’t you?
