The preemployment drug test can be intimidating for anyone applying for a job. It's best to reconsider your plan if you are considering using synthetic urine or rapid detox kits to fool the drug test.

It's more foolproof to hide a dino in your backyard than you might think!

Synthetic Urine is a Bust

The option of using synthetic urine to cheat at a drug test is appealing. Cheaters used to substitute their urine with that of another person in the past. A common myth is that drinking too much water will dilute the urine and help you pass a urinalysis. A Specific Gravity Test, which tests chemical particles in urine samples, can indicate if a test sample is diluted.

In recent years, however, the ability of synthetic urine to imitate real urine has improved. You'd expect it to have a greater success rate. Testing centers use various techniques to detect fake samples and stop them from being used for drug tests.

Fake Urine Sold in Stores and on the Internet

Several convenience stores in the Kansas City metro have been discovered to sell fake urine at the counter. The products are not illegal in the United States because various brands like whizzinator sell them as a joke or for research. Most of these products, however, are purchased to pass a drug test.

Can fake urine be detected in a drug test?

1. Testing Site Enforcement

Previously, the testing sites would look for discarded boxes and wrappings in restrooms where people had left their samples. As a result, the practice has evolved considerably. To provide a sample, it is now standard to place all personal items into a locker before entering the bathroom. Even with this strict approach to preventing fraud, the problem persists.

Synthetic urine samples are a common cheating method. The temperature of "urine" is a common sign that someone has used one of these kits. Hand warmers, heating pads, or body heat heat the samples.

This warming process often fails to reach the ideal temperature range and results in samples that are either too hot or not heated to the right temperature. Testing centers often use drug test cups with temperature strips to deter these samples. The temperature discrepancy strongly indicates that the urine sample was made with synthetic urine.

2. Laboratory Testing

Laboratories and other testing centers have implemented measures to detect and dispose of synthetic urine. Once the samples arrive at the lab, additional anti-cheating protocols are put into action.

All urine samples are tested for potential cheating methods upon arrival in the lab to ensure they are valid before drug testing. In the laboratory, samples are tested for pH and specific gravity to ensure they fall within the normal range.

These checks ensure that the test is accurate. Fake urine samples often fail these checks because they do not match the normal specific gravity or pH levels.

What DNA Can Do for You

The laboratory checks various indicators to ensure that the urine samples are genuine and that they have not been tampered with by anyone trying to cheat a drug test.

A typical urine sample contains a low concentration of nucleated cell types, such as white blood cells or epithelial cells. Significant differences exist in the number of male and female urinary epithelium cells.

The presence of female-specific markers, such as pregnancy or birth control, can help a lab determine if a male's urine sample is not his.

A testing center can also conduct several tests to distinguish human urine from animal samples. This is a good indicator that someone has tried to cheat.

What are the consequences if you cheat on a drug test?

Anyone who is undergoing a drug test should be aware of the dangers of using fake urine. It will be deemed a refusal of the test if you are caught attempting to replace your urine sample with synthetic urine. Your employer or the person who requested the test will be informed.

It could result in additional penalties being imposed by your employer or agency. If you cheat in court-ordered drug tests, there may be legal consequences. Some people who cheat on drug tests are monitored for the rest of their lives to ensure they don't use synthetic urine.

The issues can be much more serious if the tampering violates a court order. It could even result in legal consequences for interference with legal proceedings.

Find a Testing Center Near you

Test Smartly Labs offers urine testing for drug use in the greater Kansas City area. Test Smartly Labs has five testing centers located in Kansas City, including Overland Park and Belton-Raymore.

You can book an appointment or just walk in at any of our offices. Our website also lists all the options available for urine testing, and outlines prices.

Questions and Answers about Urine Testing in Kansas City

1. What Are The Most Reliable Methods For Drug Testing?

The use of hair, nails and blood for drug testing is less likely to be manipulated by individuals since the samples are collected directly from the patient. Each sample collected is also "observed", reducing the possibility that an individual can cheat.

2. What protections are in place to detect synthetic urine use?

Test Smartly Labs technicians check all urine samples to ensure they are not adulterated. They do this by comparing the temperature and physical characteristics, such as the appearance of the fake urine, with that of natural urine.

3. What happens if I am caught cheating on a drug test?

When someone cheats on a drug screen, it is deemed a refusal to take the test. The cheating will be reported to their employer or agency.