Employment drug tests and a "contact" positive

[lendaddy]

I know someone that recently failed a drug test for weed. This was his initial test after being hired as a manager at a factory. He says he did not/does not partake. He is shattered as he had finally landed a good job and has a very large family to support.

He says he went to a party for the Delahoya/Mayweather fight and celebrated his new job but got pretty drunk and fears some there were smoking.

Is is possible or likely this gave him a positive? Would a hair sample test be more accurate? Or is he just screwed? Should he offer to pay for a better test? Any ideas?

[lendaddy]

I will add that I know the obvious first thought is that he did smoke, but lets just assume he's being honest here.

[id10t]

Hair test may/should still show positive, but the very expensive versions will show that there is (or isn't) a history of use

[gr8fl4porsche]

Have him tell them they are wrong and he wants a retest. Medical testing is not perfect - could be someone else's results with the wrong label on the bottle.

Your statement that 'he fears some there were smoking' is odd. Either he was with folks toking up or he wasn't. Hair analysis is the gold standard with urine testing being at the bottom. I would think a 'contact' would show up in the margin of error column. I know plenty of folks (I'm in the construction industry) that smoke everyday and still can pass a piss test if they 'study' for it.

Is your friend telling the truth?

[ledhedsymbols]

It's possible to have SOME in your system from being around it. All urinalysis tests have a cutoff value though. The test is actually looking for the metabolites (what your body turns dope in to) in your urine rather than the drug itself.
What it comes down to is how sensitive the test, and what the cutoff threshold is.

Military drug screening is set with such high threshold that there is no doubt or possible arguement about what one did or didn't do. The samples are also tested using three different methods, all of which have to return positive for the result to be a valid positive result.

Do you have any more info about the particular lab and screening method? Otherwise, I would suspect that your friend is full o' crap, or got so hammered that he doesn't remember exactly what went down.

Micah

[lendaddy]

Originally posted by gr8fl4porsche
Have him tell them they are wrong and he wants a retest. Medical testing is not perfect - could be someone else's results with the wrong label on the bottle.

Your statement that 'he fears some there were smoking' is odd. Either he was with folks toking up or he wasn't. Hair analysis is the gold standard with urine testing being at the bottom. I would think a 'contact' would show up in the margin of error column. I know plenty of folks (I'm in the construction industry) that smoke everyday and still can pass a piss test if they 'study' for it.

Is your friend telling the truth?

I don't know if he is or isn't but I believe him... he's just not that stupid. But I've been wrong beofre. Either way it doesn't matter as if there is a way to prove it he'll either pass or fail.

[cashflyer]

I don't know if this is a state law, or just a practice that many employers use to keep from being sued... but every place I have worked that required periodic drug testing would administer a second test for verification if the first test was hot.

Tell him to demand a retest.

[Joeaksa]

I had the same thing years ago. Was taking a job with McDonnell Douglas that required a TS security clearance, and as usual they did a drug test.

At the time I lived in Europe and had been to Holland recently. Sitting next to us at lunch was a table with people smoking pot and I got some second hand exposure.

When I did the drug test in CONUS I advised them that I may have some second hand exposure and explained the situation to them. The called me back in a few days and said that I had passed the test but that it was good that I mentioned the second hand exposure. They said that my screen tested positive for pot but it was at such a low level that they could tell that it was second hand exposure.

Best to fess up beforehand but I agree with Randy and ask for another test and insist that he did not do any drugs.

If he really wants the job and you believe that he is telling the truth, tell him to offer to pay for a hair or fingernail drug scan. The good news is that it may clear him. Bad news is that it will show ANYTHING he has used in the last 3-6 months on the cheap test, or up to 2 years on the expensive test.

If he has taken codine or any other drug it will show up on these two tests and if he does not have a perscription for it, it will sink him. If he has taken anything and has a script for it, or has not taken anything at all then it will clear him.

Joe

[lendaddy]

Thanks, I will pass the info on.

[john70t]

Popppy seed bagels have been rumored to show up as opiates.

[David]

Did he say how many nanograms the test showed? Under 20 could be second hand, but I imagine most companies set the limit around 50.

[lendaddy]

Originally posted by 125shifter
Did he say how many nanograms the test showed? Under 20 could be second hand, but I imagine most companies set the limit around 50.

I found those same numbers and will see what his were. I was told second hand that they were 40 something but we'll see. Considering the exposure was the night before(maybe two nights before???) the test perhaps that's possible? Had he smoked that recently could/would you expect much higher numbers? Well above 50? I have no idea.

[Joeaksa]

If he does another test now it would tell everything. Someone who smokes pot from time to time will have much higher levels for longer than a second hand exposure situation.

[cashflyer]

One more option:
http://www.passyourdrugtest.com/

[David]

Originally posted by lendaddy
I found those same numbers and will see what his were. I was told second hand that they were 40 something but we'll see. Considering the exposure was the night before(maybe two nights before???) the test perhaps that's possible? Had he smoked that recently could/would you expect much higher numbers? Well above 50? I have no idea.

He could be just over 50 from smoking the night before if he wasn't a regular user.

[azasadny]

Originally posted by john70t
Popppy seed bagels have been rumored to show up as opiates.

Yep, Mythbusters proved this on one of their shows...

[Zeke]

Originally posted by john70t
Popppy seed bagels have been rumored to show up as opiates.

Oh yeah and there's a whole list of things that can trip up a test. Lots of OTC stuff can show up. You have to disclose.

[JeremyD]

Originally posted by milt
Oh yeah and there's a whole list of things that can trip up a test. Lots of OTC stuff can show up. You have to disclose.

+1000 - I've had two false positives this year - have another one where it came back diluted (today) dude says he drinks a ton of water - so we are retesting him (and telling him to reduce his water intake before the test)

Have him challenge it - offer to pay for a replacement test

[Superman]

I am just handing over my responsibilities as a Drug Testing Coordinator. Medical Review Officers can almost always distinguish between stuff like poppy seeds and real drugs. And between real drugs and OTC stuff.

50 ng/ml is the usual screen cutoff. Secondary test (GC/MS...VERY accurate) can be 15 ng/ml or can even use a cutoff of zero!

Tests usually involve a "split sample" specimen. There is probably a specimen jar in a deep freeze somewhere. Your friend probably does not have "retest" as an option. He probably can have the split sample tested, but the result will be the same.

And finally, I am a bit surprized at these stories of second-hand smoke impacting a test. That is quite rare.

[lendaddy]

Thanks Sup, I am starting to think he may have and is so embarrassed that he can't admit it. Either that or he was so hammered he doesn't know what he did.

It's a damn shame but we make our own beds.