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Popping positive--urban legends concerning drug testing
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Posted On :
Feb-01-2012
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Article Word Count :
525
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Since the 1980s companies and government agencies throughout the nation have established a systematic regimen of drug-testing. Laboratory drug-testing itself has endeavored to increase in rigor and precision. A number of myths have grown up around drug testing. This article will discuss them.
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Since the 1980s companies and government agencies throughout the nation have established a systematic regimen of drug-testing. Laboratory drug-testing itself has endeavored to increase in rigor and precision. The different types of drug tests are done in similar ways. Before testing the sample, the tamper-evident seal is checked for integrity. If it appears to have been tampered with or damaged, the laboratory rejects the sample and does not test it.
Laboratory-based drug testing is done in two steps. The first step is the screening test, which is applied to all samples. The second step is the confirmation test, and it is only applied to samples that test positive during the screening test. After a suspected positive sample is detected during screening, the sample is tested using a confirmation test. Samples that are negative on the screening test are discarded and reported as negative.
The confirmation test in most laboratories is performed using mass spectrometry, and is precise but expensive. False positive samples from the screening test will almost always be negative on the confirmation test. Samples testing positive during both screening and confirmation tests are reported as positive to the entity that ordered the test. For workplace drug testing, a positive result is generally not confirmed without a review by a Medical Review Officer who will normally interview the subject of the drug test.
A number of myths have grown up around drug testing. One of the most enduring myths is that second-hand exposure will cause you to fail. This urban legend is technically true but highly misleading. According to a U.S. Army study, the amount of secondhand cannabis smoke needed to cause a false positive result (failure) is quite large indeed, and would require being sealed in an unventilated car or small room filled with marijuana smokers for several hours. Another myth is that Ibuprofen causes false positives for THC. While this was true in the past, the latest drug testing equipment is much less sensitive to ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.). As of 1998, it has become relatively uncommon for persons to pop positive for taking Ibuprofen. However, abnormally high doses of ibuprofen can still potentially cause a false positive in some cases.
In addition to the myths about what causes a person to pop positive on a drug test, there has been a considerable effort to find ways of beating drug tests. Many have resorted to a number of detox drinks and practices in the hope of avoiding detection. But drug testing labs across the United States have increased their efforts to catch cheats who use urine-altering products. Many people who attempt to drink vinegar or urine or take high doses of niacin will get flagged by the lab.
Synthetic urine, also known as fake urine is a Quick Fix for detection avoidance. It is a laboratory made specimen which is designed with all the normal characteristics of the real thing. Labs cannot detect fake urine. However, one must be sure that the synthetic urine being used is the real thing. Using a quickfix synthetic urine is the best way to beat a drug test.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Popping positive--urban legends concerning drug testing_142034.aspx
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Author Resource :
For more information about the myths and reality of drug testing please visit Quick Fix
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Keywords :
quick fix, fake urine, synthetic urine, quickfix synthetic,
Category :
Business
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Business
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