Today, mouth swab and saliva tests are quickly becoming the go-to drug test for companies who suspect their employees of being under the influence of drugs on the job. There are many reasons that make saliva tests the preferred drug test for employers.
For starters, saliva drug testing is much cheaper and easier to administer than other types of drug tests such as urinalysis, blood or hair testing. They are also non-invasive and minimize the privacy and embarrassment issues that go along with urine tests.
Lastly, saliva tests do not require a lab specialist to analyze the samples and a saliva sample can be taken on-site spontaneously, and its results can be obtained in as little as just a few minutes.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see why it’s practically impossible to protect yourself and prepare for the test when you could be asked to produce a saliva sample on the spot. And, because of the fact that saliva samples are much harder to tamper with and provide almost instantaneous results, it’s crucial that you learn how to pass a saliva drug test fast if you’re a habitual drug user.
Even if you’re no longer under the effects of the drug, the unpredictable and random nature of a saliva test makes them extremely dangerous for anyone who uses drugs regularly. Fortunately, if you understand the process and learn a few simple techniques, you can easily pass a saliva test, even when asked to take one given only a short period of time’s notice.
Below, we’ll go over a bit of information about mouth swab and saliva tests, as well as leaving you with a few tips on how you can easily pass one.
How Long Can Drugs Be Detected in Saliva?
By understanding how far back a saliva test can detect drugs in your system, you’ll be that much better prepared to pass one. However, keep in mind that marijuana users will have a much better chance than those who use other harder drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, or opiates.
There is both bad news and good news when it comes to taking a saliva test. The bad news is that saliva tests can detect a person’s drug metabolites within as little as 15 minutes after having taken the drugs. This makes them extremely dangerous for people who have used any drugs on the same day that they’ve been asked to take a test.
On the other hand, the good news is that drug detection times are rather short when it comes to saliva tests. For example, after only 24 hours of smoking marijuana or taking cocaine, a saliva test will more than likely not test positive for drug metabolites. And, for other drugs such as MDMA or opiates, detection times are no more than 72 to 96 hours.
Therefore, if you’re given notice that you’ll soon be taking a saliva test, knowing how long these drugs can be detected in your saliva is crucial to being able to pass a drug test. Then, all you’ll need to worry about is to abstain from these substances for the aforementioned periods of time, and you’ll more than likely come back with a negative test result.
Tips on Passing a Mouth Swab and Saliva Drug Test
Aside for understanding how long certain drugs will remain detectable in your saliva, there are several other ways that you can tip the scales in your favor before taking a saliva test.
One popular method of cheating a saliva test is to try and eat a fat-based meal an hour or two prior to taking the test. This can sometimes work because the fats in the food you eat will help absorb the drug metabolites from your bloodstream, which can then quickly be expelled from your body through digestion.
Another good technique to use is to flush your system by drinking plenty of fluids before your test. This works to remove any toxins and will also dilute the drug concentrations in your bloodstream. If possible, try to drink a diuretic such as coffee, tea, or cranberry juice, which will stimulate urination and can further help rid your body of the drug metabolites in your system.
Furthermore, brushing your teeth several times a day, using mouthwash and chewing on minty gum have also been known to help cleanse your saliva and decrease your chance of testing positive on a saliva test.
Manipulating Your Saliva Swab
This isn’t always possible, but if you’ve been asked to collect the saliva sample yourself, as opposed to someone else taking it for you, then you have a good chance of being able to manipulate the test when you take the sample.
When a trained evaluator takes a saliva samples, they tend to swab along your gum line, between your bottom teeth or under your tongue. This is because these spots are where toxins are more likely to be trapped and they’ll have a better chance at getting an accurate test result. To know more about saliva testing, click here.
Therefore, if you’re given the mouth swab to take the sample yourself, your best bet is to swab a flat part of your mouth, such as your cheek or the roof of your mouth, where toxins are less likely to be trapped. Of course, this does not guarantee that you won’t test positive, however, it can significantly decrease your risk of failing a saliva test.