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Test Standards and Accuracy
The accuracy of drug testing is an area where I have decided to neglect
all statistics. Those who oppose drug testing provide numbers indicating a
high level of false positives. Those who favor drug testing provide numbers
indicating high levels of accuracy. The fact is that accuracy varies widely
from lab to lab. Generally speaking, NIDA labs are accurate. Clinton writes:
NIDA (The National Institute of Drug Abuse) is the gov-
ernment organization responsible for regulating the drug-testing
industry. The vast majority of urine drug screens done these days
conform to NIDA specs, and ALL testing associated with the gov-
ernment (department of transportation, etc.) complies with the
NIDA standard. It is NIDA that decides what the "safe" cuto s
are to avoid false positives....
Despite what you might hear on the net, urinalysis, if done
correctly, is a very accurate scienti c procedure. I know of no
labs that simply report the results of the initial EMIT screen-
ing without con rming the sample on GC/MS. The fact is, labs
WANT you to test negative, because then they only have to run
an EMIT test on your urine (a few cents). If you test positive,
they must then con rm the positive result on GC/MS, which is
considerably more expensive. . . . Incidentally, the machine
which tests the hair is a relative of the GC/MS, but is FAR more
precise. It can accurately detect levels of THC in a solution that
are below 1 ng/mL!
CAP (College of American Pathologists) also certifies laboratories the
way NIDA does. NIDA keeps it's labs in check by sending positive and nega-
tive double-blind samples. Lab personnel does not know what samples came
from NIDA. If the lab results are wrong, NIDA may take away the labs cer-
ti cation. Only labs that perform the GC/MS on site can be NIDA certi ed.
Labs that send samples to another laboratory for GC/MS con rmation are
ineligible for NIDA certi cation. "Drug testing when done properly with
all
required controls and con rmation procedures is very accurate and reliable"
[Anon1].
Not all labs are NIDA/CAP certi ed. Some labs do not properly and
thoroughly clean the GC/MS equipment. Some labs do not even do a GC/MS
con rmation! Some labs use cheap alternative methods to reduce expenses.
Many human errors occur in labs and cause inaccurate results. Some are
careless or irresponsible errors, and some errors are accidents. Human error
can ruin the results of ANY test, screening or con rmation GC/MS.
The only lab you should be concerned with is the one that is testing you.
Only federal jobs require NIDA standards. Your typical private employer
may use any lab s/he chooses, which would very likely be the least expensive.
Businesses don't always choose NIDA labs that follow-up a positive screening
test with a con rmation GC/MS.
Procedures Implemented
In the workplace, an EMIT screening is typically used, with a CG/MS con-
rmation if the EMIT is positive. However, this is not a rule; employers can,
and some do, use unusual procedures. Some employers use the RIA, and
some use the hair test. The government often uses RIA. They may or may
not supervise the subject. Olympic athletes must be monitored by courier
after a competition. The courier stays with the athlete until the athlete
urinates, with a time frame of up to sixty minutes.
False Positives
No laboratory process is completely free from error. The GC/MS test is
virtually error free, but the EMIT is far from accurate. There are some
false positives you should avoid if you're getting an EMIT test. Take this.
seriously; false positives run high. If you know that there will be a GC/MS
con rmation test, you can disregard this section. It would be too lengthy
to
list all of the false positives here. Je Nightbyrd's "Conquering the
Urine
Tests" pamphlet lists a majority of the false positives in detail. (If
you are
clean, want to get back at the testing industry for conducting these absurd
tests, and know that there will be a con rmation test, you could consume
several false positives. This would force labs to pay for the high priced
GC/MS test, eventually drive up test expenses. You will still pass the test
as long as you do not use any true positives.)
Ibuprofen
Ibuprofen is a common pain reliever that (even in low dosages) used to cause
a false THC positive on the EMIT test. The EMIT has been changed to use
a di erent enzyme to eliminate false positives due to Ibuprofen. Ibuprofen
in very high doses will still interfere with both the EMIT and the GC/MS.
There is some con icting data here because some sources say that the GC/MS
tests can distinguish between Ibuprofen and THC (as well as other over-the-
counter drugs).
Cold Remedies, Pain Relievers, Hay Fever Reme-
dies, and Diet Pills
Decongestants and diet pills result in false positives for amphetamine use
in
one third of the test samples given to 40 of the countries leading laboratories.
There are roughly 300 over-the-counter drugs that cause false positives on
the EMIT.
Antibiotics
Certain antibiotics (like Amoxicillin) are claimed to cause a positive for
heroin
or cocaine. My expert source was unable to verify this, so I regret that there
is some uncertainty here.
Melanin (found in black skin)
Melanin is the brown pigment that protects your skin from UV rays. It
was raised as a discrimination issue in the 1980's, and argued that melanin's
molecular structure is similar to that of a THC metabolite. Subsequent
research revealed aws in the data. Melanin was found to have no e ect on
THC metabolite testing.
DHEA
DHEA taken by AIDS patients will cause a false positive for anabolic steroid
use.
Dental Treatment
Caine products (like novacaine) used in dentistry have been known to cause
false positives for cocaine.
True Positives (legitimate)
Some legal products actually contain small amounts of illegal chemicals. All
tests, including the GC/MS, will test you positive because the metabolites
derived from the true positive are identical to the metabolites of the ille-
gal drugs. One exception: poppy seeds will not cause a positive GC/MS
(explained below).
Poppy Seeds
Poppy seeds, usually on breads, contain traces of morphine, and lead to
positives for opiates. According to Dr. Grow, eating a pastry lled with
poppy seeds will bring results showing that you are a *high level* opiate
user. Harold Crossley, a nationally known chemical dependency expert, said
you would have to eat 100 poppy seed bagels to score a positive on a drug
test. When taken into account that very few poppy seeds are sprinkled on
bagels, you can see that poppy seeds from a hundred poppy seed bagels
will easily ll a single large pastry. Purim cookies, a Jewish food known as
Hamantashen, may have ve to six tablespoons of poppy seeds. A couple
Purim cookies may cause a positive test. Poppy seeds can be distinguished
from illicit drugs on the GC/MS test. Although poppy seeds have the same
metabolites as opium, these metabolites are shown to have di erent patterns
when viewed with the GC/MS.
Testosterone Supplements
Orchic extract (found in bull's balls) will give a positive for anabolic steroid
use. It is a legitimate substance that causes the test to imply that you abuse
steroids.