Drug tests sometimes get in the way of our achievements. They can keep sane and perfectly healthy candidates from landing their dream job and even complicate legal issues.
If you’re about to undergo a hair follicle test sometime in the near future, panicking is the last thing you should do. We’ve provided a list of tips to help ensure that the dreaded “positive” is dodged completely.
Determining Odds
It’s important to be aware of the exact date of your drug test. Laws concerning drug testing can vary depending on the country or state. The test is usually part of the entry-level hiring process.
The United States, for instance, requires that testing for drugs complies with the set procedures by the SAMHSA or Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
There is generally more leeway for private organizations when it comes to drug testing methods. Again, however, there are differences in the policies set by every region.
Here are some of the other important things you need to know:
- A drug-testing program has to be in place for companies hiring commercial drivers
- Even when you’re hired, an employer might still require you to undergo drug testing
- There could be a random drug testing every now and then as part of employment terms
- A workplace incident might also warrant a drug test
- Understanding a company’s policy for drug testing is crucial before accepting a position
- Researching local laws helps you understand more about the jobs or activities that require drug testing
What Drugs Is a Person Usually Tested For?
The SAMHSA drug testing guidelines, which is usually what employers in the United States set their drug testing procedures after, test for five categories of drugs, and they are:
- Cocaine, which includes crack and powder forms
- Opiates, including heroin, codeine, opium, and morphine
- THC, which includes marijuana, cannabis products, and hash
- Phencyclidine, including angel dust and PCP
- Amphetamines, which includes ecstasy and methamphetamine
- Alcohol is sometimes tested for along with all of the above
What Drugs Will Employers Screen For?
Now, there’s a good chance that private employers will deal with drug testing slightly differently. If you’re applying for a position at a private organization, you must know that they’re not required to adhere to the guidelines set by SAMHSA. An expanded test, however, is what you need to expect.
Many of these companies test for additional drugs, the most common ones being:
- Nicotine, including cotinine and nicotine by-products
- Methadone, which is a drug used to treat addiction to heroin
- Propoxyphene, which includes Darvon compounds
- Methaqualone or Quaalude
- Barbiturates, which include butalbital, secobarbital, phenobarbital, and downers
- Benzodiazepines, including Valium, Xanax, and Librium
Drugs That Aren’t Typically Screened For
What about the drugs that aren’t usually tested for, do you still need to know what they are? The answer is, yes, you do. While there’s a good chance you won’t get tested for these drugs during a hair test, they are still detectable. So better safe than sorry, right?
- Inhalants
- Anabolic steroids
- Hydrocodone, which includes Vicodin and Oxycodone
- Hallucinogens, including mushrooms, mescaline, LSD, and peyote
Understanding the Hair Drug Test
Once a drug enters your body, its active ingredients are going to remain in your system, circulating throughout your body.
These chemicals that your body produces when processing a drug, as well as the other chemicals, called metabolites, accumulate in the follicles of your hair. The follicles then deposit these chemicals to the hair strand once it grows. A hair drug test searches for and identifies these chemicals in a hair sample.
If you expect a hair drug test to be performed on you, stop using drugs right away. Even better, cease all forms of drug use before starting your job search.
A hair test can detect cannabis usage, for instance, three months after it took place. So it would do you well to halt any kind of drug use around 90 days before putting yourself on the market for a job.
Home Remedies
It’s not unusual for people to be desperate to pass their drug tests. If you’ve used drugs within the last three months and have an upcoming hair test, don’t panic too much. There are home methods that might just allow you to pull off a “negative,” one of which is the incredibly effective Macujo method.
The Macujo method is a two-part hair cleaning process that involves the opening of the hair shaft’s cuticle layer in order to clean the metabolites found in the cortex.
Final Thoughts
Whether you already have a job or still thinking about applying for one in the near future, never rule out the possibility of a hair drug test. Do not put yourself in a situation where you aren’t aware of the drugs to be screened, the date of testing, and the method of testing as these might end up derailing your plans for the future.