When looking to employ people in your company, you always want to ensure they are physically fit. This includes taking them through a drug test to ensure they are sober with no traces of drugs. However, there are instances where the tests can turn positive, but the candidate is not a drug user. This can lead to losing a critical and talented candidate who would fit the vacant position. You should note that some medications can cause false positives, and you might fail to note if you are not careful. This is why you should engage ft. Lauderdale pre-employment drug testing to help determine if the drug test result and give accurate results. They might conduct extra testing to eliminate false positives. This article will explore what causes a false positive drug test.

  1. Weight Loss Pills

If you plan to lose weight, you might be prescribed phentermine, which helps curb your appetite. This drug has a similar chemical structure to amphetamines, a stimulus used to treat ADHD and aid in staying awake. If you are using phentermine, you could raise

a false red flag in your drug test, especially when you have no prescription for using amphetamines.

  1. Passive Marijuana Smoker

When you stay around people smoking marijuana, your urine could have traces of THC. THC is the chemical in the cannabis plant that gets you high. However, the number of passive smokers can be very low to trigger a positive result in the screen used by the employer or the federal government. However, it can show up if you have recently been exposed to the smoke. In such instances, the specialist will give you a second test to confirm it.

  1. Mouthwash

Most mouth-washing products often contain ethanol, a simple grain alcohol. It’s crucial to note that the machines used to measure alcohol today can detect even the smallest amount of alcohol even longer after exposure. This is why if you use anything with ethyl alcohol, your blood, urine, and breath will be flagged with signs of drinking which might not be the case. In addition, if you use alcohol-based hand sanitizers regularly, your sample will indicate traces of alcohol.

  1. Poppy Seeds 

The poppy seed naturally contains codeine and morphine. If you take a poopy seed bagel, you might test positive for these opioids for almost a whole day after you eat. This is often if you go or use labs that follow the older, lower thresholds for detecting such substances.

  1. Antidepressants

There are many circumstances where your physician might recommend the use of sertraline. Some of the situations include obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and depression. Many drugs have the same chemical structure as sertraline and benzodiazepines hence false positives. Benzodiazepines are tranquilizers and drugs often found in people who overdose on opioids. These results might happen for several days after quitting the antidepressant.

Final Words

When testing for drugs, it’s crucial to consider the possibility of a false positive, especially if you are not an addict. A good lab will recommend other tests to prove that it’s a false positive, not an overdose of another drug. If you have been a victim, you can explain your situation, such as using a mouthwash or being a passive smoker, to help rule out the false positive.