Drug test at mining expo.

[Halcyon Daze]

I just went to a mining expo and noticed 2 seperate drug testing companies. One had a rather comprehensive display of actual drug samples, most of which were ethnos! All of which they could test for.

Sure they had cannabis ice coke heroin, all the usual suspects but they also had some dried goldtops, salvia dmt mescaline, lsa, everything you could think of, plus the powdered and pill forms of everything (which may have been fake) I tell you these guys must be getting ideas from the forums because they were going waaaay overboard.

I guess it's only a matter of time and the most obscure drugs will appear in drug tests. Not just the commonly used ones.

[naja naja]

They can and have for a long time been "able" to test for these. They just don't unless they suspect u. The standard pee test can only detect certain things, beyond that it becomes way to expensive to test for every random substance unless they can just add it to the piss cup strip.

[Bread Filter]

Wow. That is interesting.

A photo would have been great.

[Halcyon Daze]

I really wished I had my camera on me. Seriously.

[Goldtop]

It would be because its getting more and more common, blokes would still be trying to achieve altered states but with the tests targeting the more common choices, they would have been reverted to psychedelics and less likely numbers. Not to mention that kronic shit, any news if their trying to test for synthetic drugs? Im sure they will bring lsd and psilocybin into the regular tests some time in the future, youd think psychedelic drugs would be the main concern. Nothin like driving a 20 tonne excavator after a couple of caps

[Zen Peddler]

Find it hard to believe they could readily, cheaply or easily test for psilocybin/psilocin but stranger things have happened. Employre trust...

[Halcyon Daze]

They had more synthetics than you could poke a stick at, and khat too. They had everything those bastards.

[Goldtop]

I dont think money would be an issue zen ped, if they realise how many positives they would get im sure that it will be added in. And the synthetic shit that would be a pretty sophisticated test, it wont stop them from using it. Their the terminator of workplace drug testers

[at0m]

This makes me a sad panda Whilst I disagree with drugs on the job most of these things probably stay in your system for quite awhile. A lot of them would probably be consumed during off days/weeks and should be their own business but y'know... drugs are bad. If we can't even get the head of the DEA to admit that meth and shit is more dangerous that cannabis I can't foresee the end of these any time soon.

[etherealdrifter]

that's pretty fullon hd.'

coming from a sab member's pov, that surely would have been an interesting expo to behold. did you ask any questions pertinent to your particular line of employment?...and more importantly did they answer?

[Evil Genius]

Its all a question of economics. Most companies usually dont care to screen for obscure drugs because drug users are oftenly multi-drug users so they screen for the most common ones. I dont think it makes a great difference if they get one or two positive hits. If you have a positive test result with a common drug, you´d probably be out anyway. Tests for rare chemicals and substances are more expensive so i really dont believe they would test for salvia or mushrooms. They may say so to scare people but i dont think they actually perform these tests. But personally, i wouldnt want to work for a company where i need to piss in a cup whenever someone feels funny so i dont have much first hand experience with it.

Edited June 22, 2012 by Evil Genius

[nabraxas]

LSD Testing....i'd always heard that it was really difficult to test for LSD, as i was told the actual LSD is only in the bloodstream for a few minutes before it's broken down & by then it's done it's job ov turning on the neurotransmitter tap (so to speak).

THC is stored in body fat & is relativity easy to test for.

I'm guessing that the faster the chemical is broken down the harder it is to detect?

[waterboy 2.0]

sounds like clever marketing

[ThunderIdeal]

the question on my mind is, does anything else remain in the system longer than a few days or a week, as in the case of weed?

[DELETED ACCOUNT]

the question on my mind is, does anything else remain in the system longer than a few days or a week, as in the case of weed?

 

Most things seem to diminish to levels which are undetectable from the bloodstream within days, however some stuff can stay in your fat cells (like THC) or hair follicles for weeks, if not months.

Check this site out (dunno how accurate it is, though): http://www.passyourdrugtest.com/timetable.htm

Besides those durations in which a drug can be detected in your body, I've read that some can actually change body chemistry forever (like some designer drugs), although I think this isn't true of weed or LSD, despite common conception... does anyone know if this is true?

[nabraxas]

I've read that some can actually change body chemistry forever

alcohol?

[rahli]

I was in a mining mess the other day and the drug info sheet on the wall metioned the testing period for LSD and mescaline. Can't remember what the period was because I doubted it would ever be used in any onsite testing anyway. Just a marketing thing I reckon too. I guess if they were specifically targeting someone and really wanted them gone they could buy a one off test but I reckon it would be awful expensive given that it wouldn't be requested very often.

[DELETED ACCOUNT]

alcohol?

 

Actually yes, you're right, heavy ethanol abuse can brain your damage permanently....

...I guess it's only a matter of time and the most obscure drugs will appear in drug tests. Not just the commonly used ones.

 

I guess if they were specifically targeting someone and really wanted them gone they could buy a one off test but I reckon it would be awful expensive given that it wouldn't be requested very often.

 

This is what I think too - it's probably too expensive to test for all the different types out there, especially on a case-by-case/per-person basis. Although, if you're talking a big, rich organisation (like a mining company) which relies on people working with heavy machinery or working in dangerous workplaces, I could well be wrong...

[naja naja]

also, take into account the probability of it. The drugs they test for commonly are usually habit forming drugs, they even test for benzo's. Now this I am assuming is because if u employ some1 who uses these substances, then it is highly likely, that if testing were not in place, then they would continue to use these drugs while at work/on site. Herb, cocaine, benzo's, opiates, amph's, etc

However, a person who uses psychedelics before being employed is highly unlikely to consume them while on site and most deff not at work. The after effects wear off very quick too, with no widthdrawal or wish to re-dose. Is not detectable in the urine with a reasonble period. SO it is pretty pointless spending the millions it would prob take to research and develope a simple, cheap test. If it's highly unlikely that u r going to get many, if any positive results.

[Torsten]

LSD USED to be hard to test for. It is still one of the hardest to test in urine, but not in blood. The difference is that on the spot urine tests require certain quantities to bind to the substrate and trigger an indicator. However blood tests are analysed via GC/MS and this can show drugs many weeks after consumption. I read a forensic paper recently that claimed >4 weeks for LSD via blood test. Every few years the sensitivity of these machines increases by a factor of 10, so smaller and smaller traces can be detected as the technology progresses.

The biggest problem is that you could have a FALSE positive instant urine test and then have a true positive GC'MS analysis. eg false positive for pot [which is very common], followed by a confirmed positive for LSD from a month ago.

The way to deal with this is to have acceptable limits set by governments and employers. This can only happen once drugs are decriminalised. While I am totally against drug use at work, it is ridiculous someone is punished for something they did on the weekend or in their holidays.

[Foo]

If i do recall, the Chem Centre in WA is still the one and only place in Aust that tests for Kronic and his mates.

I will also add that the cost per test was in the thousands about a year ago.

Edited June 24, 2012 by eatfoo

[blangschpeer]

I was in a mining mess the other day and the drug info sheet on the wall metioned the testing period for LSD and mescaline. Can't remember what the period was because I doubted it would ever be used in any onsite testing anyway. Just a marketing thing I reckon too. I guess if they were specifically targeting someone and really wanted them gone they could buy a one off test but I reckon it would be awful expensive given that it wouldn't be requested very often.

I'm guessing that those are mentioned as a sort of psychological test e.g. person being tested looks nervous but passes the quick test, because they were nervous the company then orders them to do a more specific blood test "just to be safe"

[IndianDreaming]

If they go too far - these tests will likely begin picking up trace chemicals in foods - surely there's plenty of foods that could spike a test. Poppy seed bun anyone?

[Foo]

If they go too far - these tests will likely begin picking up trace chemicals in foods - surely there's plenty of foods that could spike a test. Poppy seed bun anyone?

 

Only if you have 4 poppy seed buns or something, according to Mythbusters. But that was ages ago.

Testing has always accounted for trace ammounts of many substances that you could have legaly ingested.

[naja naja]

if u tested positive for opiates, then they can test for other substances that are in poppy seeds and not in opiates themselves, I forget if it was papaverine or thebaine. Maybe sumthing else, but they can do a follow up test to see wat the source of the positive results are. So even if u get a positive for poppy seeds u should still be fine unless u admit to using opiates.