Technology, science provide new opportunities to ‘beat’ drug tests
Technology, science provide new opportunities to beat’ drug tests
Creativity of screening firms severely tested as they seek countermeasures
In much the same way that corporate computer experts keep scrambling to stay one step ahead of the "hackers," professionals who conduct workplace drug screenings are in a seemingly endless race with employees who are discovering ever more sophisticated ways to beat a drug test.
It’s been said if there is a demand for a product, chances are someone somewhere is selling it. Proof positive is what is happening today with drug screening and those who want to beat the system. Many companies have instituted drug-testing policies to ensure that their work force is drug-free. This, of course, has created the demand for products that are designed to help those who would normally fail the tests.
Fakery abounds
"It’s amazing what one can buy to try and beat the drug tests," says David Feinstein, MD, a certified medical review officer with Industrial Health Care (IHC), Connecticut’s largest occupational health care provider. IHC also is the state’s leading center for drug screening. "Anyone can go on-line and purchase drug-free urine, heaters, and even prosthetics to try and beat the tests," says Feinstein. "This has forced those of us in the drug screening business to become very creative."
One Web site, for example, sells concentrated urine that is guaranteed to pass any drug test. The same site also offers a prosthetic device that allows a man to give a fake urine sample while appearing to be giving a sample from his own bladder. The Web site is associated with a national organization that is fighting to legalize the use of marijuana, so it’s likely that the Web site’s owners are aiming their message at the "right" clientele.
But Feinstein and his staff are ready for them. "When a company sends an employee or prospective employee to us for a drug screening, we send them into a specially equipped bathroom at one of our eight offices and ask them to provide a urine sample," says Feinstein. "Our bathrooms are not typical because we’ve prepared them especially to help prevent adulteration."
One precaution IHC takes is when the test subject enters the room, a medical attendant flicks a switch on the outside of the room to shut off the water supply to the toilet and sink. This prevents the person from trying to dilute their sample with tap water. IHC also uses a blue coloring tablet in their toilet tank, so that if a person tries to mix toilet water with their sample, the result is a greenish liquid.
"There’s a misconception that using water to dilute a urine sample will fool the drug test," says Feinstein. "The reason we shut off the water is so that the candidate is discouraged from trying to tamper with the tests. We’ve even seen some candidates go so far as to drink a gallon of water before coming in for a test in hopes of diluting their sample. Unfortunately for them, when they do this they can’t take the test. We tell them to go home and reschedule the test because we can tell when the sample is diluted. In some cases, failure to provide a sample is considered a refusal to test."
Another factor that IHC has to consider when administering the tests is the temperature of the sample. Since the urine is supposed to be coming from inside the body, it is supposed to be body temperature. Mail order specimens will not be warm enough to pass the test. Also, if the person has a physical exam, the doctors at IHC may see evidence of attempts to beat the tests.
"There is a temperature gauge on the side of the cup that allows us to make sure that the sample registers between 90 and 100 degrees," says Feinstein. "Some of the mail-order houses sell warmers that bring the fake sample up to temperature, but the pads either heat the sample too much or too little. Either way, we can tell."
No limit to creativity
Feinstein says in all of his days of testing, he’s seen it all — whether it was the person who brought some bleach to pour into the sample cup in hopes that it would fool the test ("it just turned it foamy, and we told him he should go to the hospital immediately," he says chuckling) to people who have taken multitudes of vitamins and health supplements in hopes of passing ("some chemicals cause irregular readings in the tests, but never give a false result," he explains). He says that no matter what the attempt, those who are using drugs will not be able to fool the tests.
"We have a two-tier process for drug testing at IHC," he explains. "The first method is the express test, which allows us to get a reading within 10 minutes. If the person passes that test, they are free and clear. However, if we get an irregular reading or a failing grade, we then send the rest of the sample out for a more extensive test. This is just a cautionary procedure to make sure that the subject is truly using drugs. Plus, the extra test gives an employer more proof should they need to fire or refuse the hire of the person who failed."
Even with urine tests being all but bulletproof, scientists have recently devised an even more foolproof test, one that not only tests if a candidate has used drugs in the past 72 hours, but also shows if they’ve used drugs over the past few months. The new test is conducted not with urine, but with hair.
"IHC has just started offering its clients the ability to test employees by taking a hair sample," says Feinstein. "Unlike the urine test, which can only test for recent use of drugs, the hair test allows us to look back into a person’s past few months of possible drug use. This is because when someone uses drugs, the chemicals are absorbed into the skin and stay there for a long period of time. Hair is just another form of skin, and by trimming a sample, we can then send it out to be analyzed for the presence of drug-related chemicals. The whole process is quite amazing."
Of course, hair testing does have its drawbacks. Since it uses newer technology, the cost of the test is still much greater than traditional urine tests. Also, there is the cosmetic drawback: The doctors must remove a half-inch-wide clump of hair that is at least an inch long. The good news is the test may also be done with other types of body hair.
"Because the test requires hair, employers may encounter some resistance from employees for this type of test," says Feinstein. "But if employers are using the test as a final step in the hiring of a new employee for a very important job, the candidate might not be so apprehensive. It really just depends upon how important the job is and how much the employee or prospective employee wants the job."
One other problem with the hair test occurs when the individual to be tested is bald. Feinstein recalls one time a person came in for the test and was completely bald, with very little body hair. After some thinking, the doctor ended up trimming some hair from under the armpit. "Any hair will work for the test," says Feinstein. "So if there is a concern about damaging a nice hairdo, we can grab hair from other places. We can also sometimes use fingernail clippings."
It’s easy to see why employers are concerned about their employees using drugs. Compared with the average employee, recreational drug users are more than two times more likely to have absences of eight days or more, are three times more likely to be late to work, almost four times more likely to injure themselves or others in the workplace, and five times more likely to file a workers’ compensation claim. For the small price of a drug test, employers can gain much more security and have the added insurance that they will be able to operate a safer and more efficient workplace.
"Clearly, employers who are interested in protecting both their business and their employees see drug screening as the best way to do that," says Feinstein. "However, it’s not as simple as sending employees to have a drug test. In Connecticut, there are many restrictions regarding drug testing. What we advise employers to do is use drug tests to prescreen potential employees and institute a drug policy at their place of employment. When an employee signs a contract that includes a substance abuse policy, they agree to allow themselves to be screened in the future. Without such a signed policy, employers cannot send employees for tests or fire an employee for using drugs.
"One other benefit of having a drug testing policy or requiring prospective employees to take drug tests is those who use drugs usually don’t want to work for a company that tests employees," says Feinstein. "And that may be the easiest way to screen out possible problem employees without ever having to pay for the tests at all."
[Editor’s note: IHC is Connecticut’s largest provider for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of work-related injuries and illnesses. IHC’s clinics are located in East Hartford, Norwalk, Norwich, Plainville, Stratford, Wallingford, Waterbury, and Windsor. In addition, IHC operates a 24-hour on-site program for the employees of the Mohegan Sun Casino, and another clinic for those working on the casino’s new 1,200 room, 34-story hotel and conference center. For more information call (888) WORK-IHC.]
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.