One of the most preferred drinks- Alcohol is definitely everyone’s favourite. However, not every job is lenient towards such practice and hence mandates drug tests before onboarding of new employees.
So, if you are up for a new job or another commitment that needs you to be drug free, it is better to stay away from that tempting golden liquid for a few days.
Alcohol is composed of many complex components. Thus, while some may get dissolved within a few hours, others might stay in the body for a few days. This may come up in your blood or urine sample records, leading to a failure. And therefore it is never advised to drink the night before drug test.
What are the generally followed drug tests?
Depending upon the type of component they are designed to detect, employers may follow any of these six drug test types. They all are variably designed and hence require variable body samples for the test.
- Blood Test
The most common of all, blood test is done by taking a blood sample of the individual which is then subjected to further processing in the labs. Such a test allows to efficiently detect the level of alcohol or drugs in the user’s body and is also a very viable option.
- Mouth Swab
A rather yucky way of detecting substance abuse in individuals, mouth swab test is the same as its term. During the process, a clean mouth swab is administered into the individual’s mouth which aids in getting a good amount of saliva without getting them on one’s hands. Same as the blood test, mouth swab test is also used for detecting alcohol and drug levels in a person’s system.
- Hair Tests
The most full-proof method to tracking one’s alignment with various kinds of drugs, treating a hair under specific laboratory conditions can say a lot about the individual. And no we are not talking about their hair care regime or dandruff prone scalps, but illegal drug-consumption. Performing a hair test can be used for tracking an individual’s 1-2 years record of drug consumption rate. However, it is generally rarely done.
- Urine Test
Another form of alcohol and drug testing measure, collecting and then examining an individual’s urine gives a clear view on their substance abuse record. This is one of the most usual ways of drug tests followed by employers and police personnel.
- Breath Test
One of the mandatory regulations in many regions includes ‘No drink and drive,’ and hence the next time you find a police man with a weirdly shaped device on their hand, it is mostly a ‘Breathalyser.’ The device’s specific design allows fast and almost accurate readings on the individual’s blood-alcohol level, and is hence a weapon that you need to be aware of after a late-night party.
- Sweat Test
As the name specifies, sweat test involves capturing and testing a subject’s sweat to find traces of any illegal drugs from their system. The procedure can track almost all drugs and is mostly followed after a thorough blood, and urine test.
Why may I need a drug test?
Generally, a drug test is advised for any of the below mentioned reasons:
- Medical reasons
If you had too much to drink and arrive at an ER in a sort of delirious state, the tending doctor will give you a drug test just to be extra sure. As their core responsibility is to find out the underlying reason behind their patient’s condition, they might give you a breath or blood test, once you are admitted. This helps them to confirm your blood-alcohol level or drugs suspended in your body, and hence properly care for you.
- Legal reasons
One of the most concerning reasons, a police officer or concerning authority may ask you for a breath test, if they suspect you of drunk driving. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is a gravely punishable offence and hence if found guilty, you will end up being dragged to the police station. The same also happens if the police suspects you of being minor and involving in drinking habits or drug abuse.
Sometimes, a court may also direct a concerning authority to inspect an individual’s drug abuse record or alcohol-blood level on certain sensitive cases, such as misbehaviour in public, domestic violence, or custody of children.
- Professional reasons
Based upon your profession, your employer might also arrange for a sudden drug test to ensure professionalism of their employees. It generally happens, if:
- Suspicious about a work-related injury
- Fulfilling new vacancies
- Ensuring proper followance of a work protocol
Some industries, such as media and entertainment, sports person, and government workers also have to go through occasional drug tests for their optimal performance.
How to pass a drug test?
Well, the exact answer to this question is by staying perfectly clean. Generally based upon the substance’s composition and dosage, it may take hours or even days to get completely discarded, as previously mentioned above.
To describe it more clearly, here’s a breakdown of how long alcohol and certain drugs stay in our bodies:
- Alcohol- 12-48 hours
- Cocaine- 2-3 days
- Marijuana- 1-3 weeks
Therefore the safest way to pass a drug test is to not use alcohol or other illicit drugs at least for 3 to 4 days prior to the test. You may also try to gulp down a few more glasses of water. The increased liquid intake will automatically lead you to escaping for bathroom breaks more frequently, thereby diluting the urine for a successful result.
Similarly, before a drug test, using an alcohol-based mouthwash is also a big NO. If a mouth swab test or breathalyser is used, it may be mistaken for alcohol consumption.
Home Remedies to pass a urine drug test within 24 hours
There are certain home remedies you can try to pass a urine test in 24 hours. However, the efficacy of these ingredients depends on several factors.
This depends on:
- Your body’s overall function
- The amount of alcohol or other drugs presents in your body
- The amount of time left to the test
The following natural therapies can help detoxing your body. This increases the likelihood of passing the urine drug test.
Water
Water is the greatest cure of hangover from alcohol. It increases the amount of water in body, and creates the urgency to urinate. The more you urinate, the more alcohol leaves your system. Drinking a lot of water with your drinks and as soon as you drink can help you stay sober. Also, if you have drank within reason, then you may be able to flush it out of your system.
Cranberry Juice
Cranberry contains high level of antioxidant. This helps in flushing out harmful substances like alcohol and even THC. It is a safe and natural alternatives for detoxing from weed and alcohol.
Cranberries juice contains acidity. Therefore, the THC detox may not work appropriately for people allergic to them. Take it with vitamin B pills to prevent nutrient loss from your body,
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is known to increase the frequency of urination. If you take it with water, it can increases your urination in multifold. However, you should take care of the quantity of the juice you are taking. Lemon juice is acidic and consuming it too much may put too much stress on your kidneys and liver.
Baking Soda
According to some marijuana users, baking soda can help in beating urine drug tests. The credibility of the claim is not known. Even though it works, will it be safe to consume baking soda?
Most experts believe that baking soda or sodium bicarbonate doesn’t work as a detoxifier or cleanser. That’s why it is not recommended to consume it, especially if you have stomach issues. Instead, there are some ready-to-use detox kits in the market you can try.
According to online testimonials of these users, they tried 1 gallon of water mixing with 1-5 teaspoon of baking soda.
Warning: It could lead to severe diarrhoea and not recommended due to its inconclusive and lack of proper evidence. Also, some patients have suffered from stomach perforations due to this.
Synthetic Urine
Although we strongly condemn using them, there is a way that most people try nowadays. Synthetic urine are widely available in powder and liquid forms. It is a chemical solution used to mimic real human urine. People use them to avoid alcohol detection in urine test.
There are synthetic urine kit available in the market. However, some of them simply sell fake urine. These kits include a bottle of fake urine, a heating device to warm the urine and a belt to hold it discreetly.
Powdered human urine are easy to find and comes with a kid. Add warm water to it and shake the mixture. The kit resembles the color, smell and chemical composition of real human urine. Unlike liquid synthetic urine, powdered urine can help pass test more frequently.
The normal body temperature of a human urine ranges between 94-98 Fahrenheit. Make sure you don’t overheat the sample.
Warning: Synthetic urine may help you pass the urine drug test. However, they are illegal in most states and can even be detected in some tests.
Best ways to keep blood alcohol level with control
The best away to avoid getting detected in a urine drug test is to not drink at all. However, even if you do, drink within limit so it eliminates faster. So, here are the following ways to avoid overstepping your alcohol limits:
Count your drinks
Its easy to drink more than your limit when you are at a party with friends. If you are out drinking, make sure to note down each of your drink in your notepad. This way you can stay aware how many drinks are going in your body.
You can try apps like alcodroid alcohol tracker, MyDrinkAware, DrinkControl to track your alcohol consumption. All these apps tracks how many drinks you consumed. They also helps people who wants to quit. These apps can also estimate BAC levels and send you alerts if you have exceeded your alcohol limit.
Hydrates
Have a glass full of water with every drinks you have. For example, one shot of vodka has 30-40 ml of alcohol. You should wash it down with 200-250ml of water. The good part of drinking water is it will make you full faster. This limits your ability to consume more.
Alcohol has diuretic effect on body. Meaning, it can draws water from your body and make you dehydrated. This is the reason why your throat gets dry a while after drinking. Drinking water frequently helps you stay hydrated.
Even if you have a single shot of vodka, it increases your chances of dehydration. This is the reason why you need to have water readily available next to you. Plus, it will also save you from the hammering headache you get from hangover.
When you drink water frequently while drinking, it makes it easier for your liver to metabolize alcohol. As a result, alcohol get flushed out your body faster.
Take gaps between each drink
It takes 1 hour for your body to process each drink. Therefore, never have your second drink within the same hour of your first one. Do not consume several drinks within a small period.
Have some snacks
Eating carbs and protein-rich foods in-between drinks are quite helpful. Food can slow down the processing of alcohol in the body. In fact, carbs are known to absorb alcohol in the body. Also, eating while drinking is good for your stomach lining. It may help you stay away from stomach ulcers.
Do not mix your drinks
Mixing two or more drinks can rapidly accelerate your BAC levels. This will make you severely dizzy and intoxicated. Also, mixing two drinks make you drink a larger amount of drinks in a smaller timeframe.
