The company that Integrity Sampling uses for laboratory confirmations in some states is reporting an increase in the incidence of synthetic or fake urine being discovered in urine drug testing samples.
The practice of using fake urine to fool urine drug testing is not new, as we’ve previously reported in our blog. In essence, it involves switching a urine sample that will be used for drug testing with a synthetic product that resembles urine.
While the number of fake urine samples being detected by our partner laboratory is very small compared with the total number of urine samples (and the practice is still considered rare) it is concerning that the incidence appears to be on the rise.
Urine drug testing scam in the US
As we reported in a blog in May last year (see Fake pee used to fool urine drug testing), fake urine is a very real issue in other parts of the world, including the United States.
In that blog, one drug testing company in Alabama claimed that at one workplace they were catching at least 10 people a week trying to beat urine drug testing by using fake urine. Another drug testing provider claimed they were catching two people every day.
A word of warning, however, if you’re thinking that the practice of using fake urine to cheat urine drug testing is a good idea. That’s because, if you get caught trying to pass off a synthetic product for the real thing the consequences are likely to be more significant than if you get caught providing a positive urine sample. You’re better off taking the test and crossing your fingers!
The case for saliva drug testing
The fake pee news again highlights the benefits of using saliva drug testing rather than urine drug testing. Using fake urine isn’t the only way people can potentially fool the urine drug testing process, as people have also been known to pass off other people’s urine as their own.
Saliva drug testing, however, is virtually tamper proof, as long as the correct process is followed and the sampling is witnessed. It’s one of the reasons why Integrity Sampling recommends saliva drug testing to workplaces. In addition, saliva drug testing is fast, accurate, non-intrusive and is considered a more accurate method of determining a person’s ability to safely be at work.
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Which is better, urine drug testing or saliva drug testing for your workplace? A rise in fake pee incidences further boosts the case for the saliva method.