Drug testing helps people to admit and acknowledge a drug abuse problem. Thus, the purpose of drug testing in the workplace is not carried out to incriminate the employees but to ensure a safer working environment for everyone. Moreover, alcohol or drug abuse often leads people to guide absenteeism, low productivity, poor decision-making, and other unwanted circumstances. However, with the increasing necessity of drug testing, there are several misconceptions and misunderstandings associated with it that people tend to believe.
Listed below are some of the most prevalent myths that we will debunk for you to help you gain better clarity about drug testing.
Illicit drug usage does not hamper work safety
Alcohol or drug abuse contributes to an unsafe workplace, responsible for one in six on-the-job fatalities and other unwanted circumstances. According to National Safety Council, approximately 80% of the injuries associated with "serious" drug-related accidents are suffered by innocent co-workers rather than drug-abusing employees. Thus, the employees under the influence of drugs or alcohol are more likely to be involved in a workplace accident, hampering the workplace's overall productivity, peace, and safety.
Marijuana stays "trapped" in your body for months and years
Claiming that marijuana stays in a person's body for months or years is one of the greatest pieces of misinformation floating around out there. As per recent studies, depending on cannabis concentration, a chronic user is more likely to produce a positive urine sample for less than seven days. However, only in some extraordinary circumstances, it stays for about 10-21 days after the last smoking episode, while an occasional user may get positive results within 3-7days after the previous usage.
Nobody can beat a drug test
Even a simple Google search for "how to beat a drug test" can falsify this common misbelief that you cannot beat a drug test. There are countless online suggestions and resources that suggest different ways to trick the test and subvert results. These can include:
- Diluting agents
- Substituting agents
- Oxidizing agents
Drug tests yield "false positive" results
While this misinformation is based on specific amounts of facts, some particular substances, including poppy seeds and certain prescription drugs, can lead to false positives. However, hiring a well-experienced and reputed laboratory to carry out drug tests is an effective way to obtain accurate and error-free results. Moreover, top-notch laboratories follow the industry's best practices to eliminate the risk of false positives by getting the test reports evaluated by the medical review officer.
