Last updated : July 14, 2025
You may have a mouth swab drug test looming in your future since you clicked in here. If that’s the case, we’re going to be completely honest and give it to you straight. Living a sober lifestyle and not using drugs is the one sure way to pass a mouth swab drug test. However, many drug users have jobs. At some point, they may find themselves desperate to pass a company drug test by cheating, hoping to produce a false positive result.
According to the internet, there are ways to “pass” the test even after recent drug use. Of course, in reality, there isn’t. It’s impossible to falsify the results of a mouth swab drug test because the test subject is in full view of the technician administering the test at all times. If you clicked in hoping otherwise, we’d recommend talking to your supervisor before the test and, hopefully, you can come up with a resolution to your problem that doesn’t involve losing your job.
The DOT approved use
The Department of Transportation (DOT) approved the use of mouth swab testing as a viable means of drug testing the safety-sensitive workforce back in 2023. However, employers are still unable to submit specimens because there hasn’t been a laboratory approved by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to process the tests. Word is that there are a couple of laboratories currently going through the approval process though. Hopefully, it won’t be much longer before they receive approval. We will let you know as soon as it happens.
Companies that employ the general public can use any test method they wish, as long as it hasn’t been banned by the state. Many employers still use the urine drug test, however, some are turning to the mouth swab test because the shorter detection windows indicate recent drug use. Mouth swab drug test, otherwise known as oral fluid tests, are accurate, affordable, and detect drug use for up to 24 hours before the test.
More employers using the mouth swab drug test
There’s no doubt that the mouth swab test has gained the trust of employers. Statistics show that use of this employee test method rose from 39% in 2019 to 86% in 2023. In fact, nearly half of industry experts predict that the mouth swab test will eventually become the primary method used for employee drug testing. Their reasoning is due to its convenience and accuracy.
The majority of drug tests are negative. Using this OTC method allows small businesses to spend far less on their drug testing programs. OTC kits are used on site and should an employee tests positive, the specimen is sent to a laboratory for confirmation.
When should employers drug test?
The main reason that employers drug test is for safety’s sake. Statistics show that employees inhibited by drug use are prone to accidents, have lower productivity, and are absent more frequently than non-drug users. There’s no arguing the fact that when a company drug tests, it discourages drug use in the workplace. Moreover, someone who uses drugs isn’t likely to apply for a position there in the first place.
As stated above, companies not regulated to use the urine drug test may choose the mouth swab 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 scenarios noted in their policies that would require a drug test.
They are:
- 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 is responsible for causing the accident. Workers’ compensation insurance companies require that these tests be done as soon as possible after an accident occurs.
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. The excretion of saliva is one of ways the body rids itself of drug metabolites.
We also mentioned above that at no time is the employee out of sight of the test technician. This makes it impossible to switch one sample with another or to tamper with it in any other way. The test swab remains in the employee’s mouth for a few minutes. Then, the technician removes it and places it directly into the individual transport bag to send it off to the lab.
Myths prove 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 complete with videos by people who were supposedly successful.
Even though these videos promote cheating, it’s obvious that social media doesn’t consider such videos to be unethical because they abound online.
Refrain from using
This option makes the most sense when someone hopes to falsify results. Some “how to beat the oral fluids test” type posts urge users to refrain from drug use. 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 it long enough to obtain a negative result.
Of course, the advice pertains more so to those who are seeking employment. It raises immediate red flags if a current employee is trying to postpone having to take a test. Some employers treat a refusal to test as they would a positive test result and the employee is let go.
Brush your entire mouth
Some “tutorials” proclaim that you must use a specific toothpaste, such as Crest Fresh and White or another brand of toothpaste that contains baking soda and peroxide to rid your mouth of drug metabolites. 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 is said to remove 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 have the most benefit.
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 because—you know what’s coming here—the body is constantly producing saliva.
Don’t smoke cigarettes
They say that 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, thereby, releasing more saliva into your mouth which contains the drug metabolites.
So, this one sort of references the fact that the mouth is constantly releasing saliva…
Flush your system
Supposedly, drinking lots of water flushes drug metabolites out of the body. Also, chewing on as much ice as possible is said to be another means of “flushing” the system. The thought is that these methods dilute the saliva making it impossible to detect drugs.
We hate to burst anybody’s delusional bubble, but a heavily diluted specimen is going to come back with an inconclusive result. That usually means that the employee must retest. Moreover, 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. You can not pass a mouth swab drug test by swishing bleach in your mouth.
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.
We would go so far as to say that this is further evidence that drug use fries the brain. Who could even consider this method for a second?
THC specific
Because marijuana legalization is a hot topic, we found some weed-specific information about 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 supposedly allows you to pass a drug test? It’s been said 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!
Try life long abstinence
Unless searching for employment, drug tests aren’t up to the individual as to when they report. Instead, users who must report for a test are more apt to try to mask the fact that they use by implementing one of the techniques above.
We want to reiterate that the best way to pass a mouth swab drug test is not to use drugs.
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 often 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. Employers aren’t likely to discontinue them.
