A drug test is a technical examination commonly performed by employers and institutions to prevent the abuse of prescription drugs and narcotics. As opposed to urine test and blood test, oral drug test is gaining popularity as it’s inexpensive and requires less expertise to perform. Here is all you need to know if you want to have an idea on how to pass a oral drug test.
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Oral drug tests
An oral drug test is a screening test that detects the presence of drugs in your system. It uses saliva to detect a range of drugs and is a low-cost test with instant results. It is a reliable way of learning if someone has recently taken an illegal drug or abused a substance.
As oral drug tests give 98% accurate results, wondering over how to pass a oral swab drug test is natural. So, scroll down to learn the most useful remedies.
The most common types of drugs checked through mouth swabs include:
- Amphetamines
- Cocaine
- Alcohol
- MDMA
- Marijuana
- Methamphetamine
- Benzodiazepines
- Opiates
- Barbiturates
- Oxycodone
What to expect during an oral drug test?
Before figuring out how to pass a oral drug test, it’s important to know what happens during oral tests.
When an employer administers a drug test, they notify the employees in advance. But oral drug tests on the roadside to check if people are driving sober leaves us with no time to eliminate the essence of alcohol.
An oral test involves taking a mouth swab and rubbing it around a person’s gum line. The mouth swab is rubbed with more emphasis on the lower gumline and the area under the tongue. The saliva samples collected from these portions of the mouth are more likely to have drug metabolites.
Usually, the individual administering the drug test will collect the saliva sample from your mouth. But if they hand over the swab to you, then it’s a golden opportunity. You can simply move the mouth swab around your cheek’s upper inside portion. Drug metabolites don’t hang around in these regions. So, you may be able to tamper with the results.
Some drug test centers also use a long-stemmed swab that looks like a thermometer. They insert it into the mouth and leave it under the tongue for at least 10 minutes. Then it can be challenging for you to manipulate the results at that moment. However, there are several things you can do to reduce traces of drugs before a drug test.
How to pass a oral drug test without preparation?
In most cases, the lab conducting the drug test carefully carries out the collection of saliva. They do this to minimize the risk of a person duping them in any manner. They ensure that the donor’s mouth is empty.
Drug testing labs have trained collectors who monitor each and every step. If you try to misplace the tester inside your mouth deliberately, they will notice it.
You also cannot ignore their instructions as it’ll send a message that you may have abused something. Laboratories can also detect if the drug test specimen is just your saliva or something else.
So, how to pass a oral drug test in a day when such stringent rules exist? This article will answer all your queries.
Tips on how to pass a oral fluid drug test
When it comes to passing an oral drug test, stay away from drugs a few days before the test. But what to do if you have taken a prescription drug for medical purposes one or two days ago? Note that no method can guarantee that you’ll pass the test with flying colors. But following these steps will increase your chances of testing negative:
Don’t take drugs for 72 hours
A mouth swab test cannot detect drugs that you took a week ago. Most drugs don’t remain in your saliva for more than 3 days. To be on the safe side, don’t take any drugs for 2-3 days.
Note:
Some prescription medicines contain drugs that may trigger a positive result. For instance, codeine is a common ingredient in cough-suppressing medications. So, don’t take painkillers or cough medications if passing the drug test is important.
Include high-fat goods in your food
Once you take drugs, the THC molecules and chemicals present in drugs will remain in your saliva and bloodstream for a while. They intertwine with fat and when the fat gets eliminated from your body, it takes THC with it. Hence, your drug use won’t be easily detectable.
If you have 2 days before the test, increase the intake of high-fat foods. Try to have fats in every meal to flush out the drug quickly from your body.
Health Tip:
Fast food items served at restaurants are loaded with fats, but they contain unhealthy fats. So, instead of having processed foods, opt for healthy fats like salmon or tuna. Nuts, cheese, avocados, and whole eggs are other incredible sources of fat.
Drink plenty of water
Drinking a lot of water has a range of benefits. Sipping sufficient water at regular intervals can also help you pass a drug test. The more water you drink, the faster new saliva will be produced in your mouth.
As per theory, the concentration of a drug’s chemicals will be less in new saliva than in old saliva. If you don’t like drinking too much water, other beverages will help you stay hydrated. So, you can also have fruit juices and herbal teas along with water.
Drinking adequate fluids does not mean you should have black tea, alcohol, and coffee. These drinks will leave you hydrated instead of keeping you hydrated.
Note:
Chemicals get mixed into your saliva from your blood. So, you cannot flush them out entirely from your system. However, if you have 48-72 hours before the test, there is no harm in increasing your saliva output.
Brush twice
Brushing your teeth at least two times is another way of removing old saliva. If you have taken drugs, some of the chemicals will linger in your saliva. So, what you can do is scrub every part of your teeth gently for around 2 minutes. Do this after having breakfast and before going to bed at night.
Don’t forget to scrub the insides of your cheeks and your tongue as well. Rinse your mouth thoroughly and spit 2-3 times in the end. Make sure you use a good toothpaste and a fresh toothbrush.
Note:
Brushing teeth consistently and thoroughly won’t eliminate all traces of the drug from your saliva miraculously. But it will not allow old fluids to build up inside your mouth.
Gurgle multiple times
Imagine arriving at work and your work buddy informs you there’s an oral drug test in around 4-5 hours. Is there any way you can save yourself given that you’ve partied hard the previous night?
Instead of panicking, try this:
Go to the washroom and take a mouthful of clean water. Now gargle for 20-30 seconds and spit out the water. Repeat this once every 45 minutes.
Rinsing your mouth with water can dilute the concentration of drugs like THC in your saliva. So, you can be certain that it’ll become slightly harder for the testing kit to detect the drug.
Note:
The effect of this remedy will be short-lived and devoid of any side effects. It is the easiest way of reducing your chances of getting caught after taking drugs.
Tips to achieve a negative drug test result
Suck sour candies
Do you like munching on sour candies now and then? Here’s another reason to keep sour candies in your purse all the time.
All you have to do is pop in a few sour candies. Take your time to suck them instead of chewing. Sucking the candies is essential to extract the acidic flavoring out of them.
The sourness present in candies does a great job of making your saliva sugary and acidic. The more the percentage of acids and sugar in your saliva, the tougher it becomes to detect drugs. So, when you have just 5-10 minutes before a drug test, your favorite sour candies can save you.
Note:
Several studies have proved that this trick can work. Swab tests to detect drug abuse give lower results in people who suck citrusy candies before the test.
Chew gums
Everyone knows that chewing gum is a fantastic way of stimulating the production of saliva in your mouth. But how can the habit of chewing gums come to your rescue when you have a mandatory drug test?
If you chew a piece of gum, it will produce more saliva in your mouth. So, it can decrease the concentration of drugs (if any) in your saliva. Doctors are also of the opinion that when you chew gum, your oral fluids’ chemical makeup alters.
Naturally, the oral drug test won’t be highly effective. The best gums you can use for this purpose are the ones with strong citrus or cinnamon flavors.
Note:
A surprise swab test can take place in any office. So, keeping a pack of gums in your pocket isn’t a bad idea. Moreover, chewing gum also strengthens your face muscles, eliminates nausea, and flights sleepiness.
Use hydrogen peroxide to wash your mouth
Peroxide is a well-known adulterant. Adulterants are chemicals that can interfere with an oral drug’s test’s results. If some drug remains in your saliva, adulterants make it difficult for the detector to identify the drug accurately.
So, how to use hydrogen peroxide to get the desired outcome?
Take a gulp of it before your oral drug test and swish around the liquid inside your mouth. Do this for 30 seconds before spitting it out. You must be careful as swallowing hydrogen peroxide accidentally can have adverse effects. You are not supposed to ingest it as it may cause internal harm.
What to do when you don’t have access to peroxide? As most mouthwashes work as adulterants, rinse your mouth properly with a mouthwash. For future use, you can buy some hydrogen peroxide and keep it out of the reach of kids.
Quick Tip:
Refrain from using mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Irrespective of the concentration of alcohol, an alcohol-based mouthwash can spoil your plan. Using it right before the drug test can trigger a false positive and that’s the last thing you want.
Final thoughts
So, now you know that passing a mouth swab test might be possible when you use the right tricks. We hope our guide on how to pass a oral drug test gives you the confidence to go for a drug test unhesitatingly.
You must remember that none of the adulterations can mask drugs completely in an oral fluid test. So, not taking any drugs for a few days before the test is the best thing to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How accurate are mouth drug test results?
The outcomes of mouth swab tests are 98% accurate. It’s the high level of accuracy that makes oral drug tests so popular.
2. How long do you have to be clean for a mouth drug test?
Depending on the dosage and the nature of the drug used, a mouth drug test can detect a drug one hour after consumption. It remains detectable for up to 48 hours from the time you took the last dose.
3. Should I chew gum before oral drug test?
You aren’t supposed to chew gum, smoke, or drink alcohol 30 minutes before the collection of saliva. According to saliva collection guidelines, the saliva should be clear, thin, and watery.