Home Drug Tests 101: Don't Let Your Teen Trick You

Home drug tests are an easy and affordable way to monitor your teen’s drug use. They’re widely available at most drug stores and even some grocery stores! When you need answers now, or don’t want to go through a clinic for your test, they can be a great solution.

However, home drug tests are not an infallible solution. Like anything, they have margins for error and there are ways to manipulate the results. Don’t let your teen trick you, here are the 5 most common ways to tamper with home drug test results:

1. Dipping the cup in the toilet.

Drug tests taken at a professional drug screening facility are done in a restroom with a waterless toilet bowl. Believe it or not, this is because one of the easiest ways to skew home drug test results is by dipping the cup in the toilet before use. By dipping the cup or strips in water, it can dilute the urine sample or even give off a false negative before the actual test takes place. 

2. Using someone else’s urine.

It may seem gross, but a lot of people have fooled drug tests by using someone else’s urine for their sample. Anything can hold a urine sample, and the quantities are often small enough that they can be easily concealed in clothing. Specialty canisters and bags are also sold online specifically for this purpose. 

3. Adding chemicals to the sample.

You don’t need a high understanding of chemistry in order to manipulate the toxicology of a urine sample. Almost any bathroom or household cleaning product can be added to a sample in order to give a false negative or inconclusive read. Common additives include eye drops, soap, and bleach. There are also sample fabrication kits available for purchase online. 

4. Test avoidance.

Sometimes, simply postponing the test is the best way to avoid drug detection. A wide variety of drugs do not stay in the system for longer than 72 hours after use. With such a small window of detectability, delaying the test admission by 2 to 4 days can dramatically increase the probability of passing -- even if drugs have been used. 

5. Temporary drug detox.

This strategy is similar to test avoidance, because it’s all about giving the body time to work through the chemicals that will produce a positive test result. Temporary drug detox involves abstaining from drug use for a small amount of time, consuming large quantities of Jell-O or gelatin, or other substances that can dilute urine or flush out the system. This strategy can be hard on the body and comes with possible health side effects, but it is very efficient.

Don’t let your teen trick you out of getting the help they need. Awareness is half the battle. Help your family guarantee detection by understanding how to best administer your home drug test.

If you have a child that may be avoiding drug tests or drug detection, we encourage you to reach out to us at Clearfork Academy. If your child is struggling with substance abuse or mental health, we’re here to help. Our clinical admissions specialists are available 24/7 to help with your unique situation. Please call us at (817) 259-2597, email us at help@clearforkacademy.com, or visit our website at www.ClearforkAcademy.com!