The direct answer to the question, “Does coffee dilute urine for a drug test?” is yes. Coffee isn’t the only culprit though. Consuming a mass quantity of any liquid before a drug test dilutes the urine. It’s never wise for a drug-using employee to try and mask drug use by consuming large quantities of water Read more » The post Does Coffee Dilute Urine for a Drug Test? appeared first on USA Mobile Drug Testing.
The direct answer to the question, “Does coffee dilute urine for a drug test?” is yes. Coffee isn’t the only culprit though. Consuming a mass quantity of any liquid before a drug test dilutes the urine. It’s never wise for a drug-using employee to try and mask drug use by consuming large quantities of water or any other beverage. That’s because a diluted test result immediately raises a red flag for employers.
Trying to dilute the test to achieve a negative result on an employee drug test goes all the way back to the beginning of employee drug testing. And, truth be told, in the early days, some people got away with it. That’s not the case today, however. Moreover, drug users, who specifically follow the coffee “remedy” they discover online, could easily find themselves in hot water.
Reported coffee cures
A couple of specific coffee-related myths are floating around the internet purported to allow drug users to pass a company drug test. The first one we found says to mix Folgers—no other brand will work—coffee with water. The instructions say to pour the mixture into a vial and hide it on your person. Pour the mixture into the specimen cup and turn it in.
So, they’re claiming that lab techs can’t discern the difference between Folger’s coffee and urine. Can you believe it? Drug users must be high and desperate to think this technique could even be feasible.
Another says that if you lay off all caffeinated beverages for a week and then drink specific amounts of coffee for a specific number of days before the test, you’re guaranteed to pass.
Good grief. Will they never learn?
Someone should tell these people that in reality, either method offers about as much help in passing a urine drug test as any other drug testing myth. The best way to “beat” the test is to not have drugs in your system.
How it all boils down
When it comes down to it, laboratory equipment continues to become more sophisticated. This makes it increasingly difficult for drug users to falsify test results. That’s true no matter which drug testing method an employer chooses.
As far as the urine drug test goes, when excessive amounts of liquid pass through the body, it throws off the urine’s pH levels. That’s determined by measuring the creatinine level. If it falls below normal—the sample is diluted. Technicians mark the test as “inconclusive.”
Employers often treat an inconclusive drug test the same as they treat a positive result. The employee is immediately terminated. However, employers may make exceptions when this result is due to a diluted specimen.
Positive and negative dilute
When an employee’s test sample shows that it’s diluted, it’s either a positive dilute or a negative dilute.
The difference can hold the employee’s job in the balance.
Negative dilute
A negative dilute means that no drugs were detected in the employee’s system. Even so, the sample indicated the creatinine level was too low. That makes it impossible to establish a negative drug test result with certainty.
Of course, a diluted sample doesn’t immediately indicate the employee was masking drug use.
They may suffer from shy bladder syndrome. If that’s the case, the only intent may have been to increase the odds that they could provide a specimen at all! It’s also possible that someone wasn’t aware it was possible to affect the drug test by drinking “too much.”
A negative dilute requires a second—directly observed—test for safety-sensitive employees. Employers of the general workforce require a second test too. It depends on company policy as to whether or not it must be directly observed. On the flip side, the employee could also be terminated immediately.
Positive dilute
When an employer sees a positive dilute result, it indicates two things:
- The employee had drugs in their system.
- They more than likely tried to hide it.
Some employers of the general workforce allow a second chance if the employee completes a rehabilitation program. Other companies terminate the employee immediately.
Does coffee give you the jitters?
Downing super-sized lattes can certainly affect behavior. Still, being jittery isn’t automatically considered a direct result of someone who consumed too much caffeine. It is a telltale sign, however, that something is amiss. Testing technicians are trained to pick up on signs that point to someone trying to fake a drug test result.
A red flag raised by nervous behavior leads to a heightened sense of awareness regarding the employee being tested and the specimen they present for submission.
The post Does Coffee Dilute Urine for a Drug Test? appeared first on USA Mobile Drug Testing.
