Drug Testing — Frequently Asked Questions

At NUAA, we get a lot of calls about drug tests, ranging from how long certain substances stay in your system and your rights in regards to workplace, roadside or Opioid Treatment Program-related drug testing.

Below, we seek to provide some answers to these questions, but it is worth remembering that the type and nature of drug tests, and regulations around them, can change. If you would like more information, you can call us on (02) 9171 6671, or use our contact form.

What is a drug test?

Drug testing looks for traces of drugs in the body. Most tests in Australia ask you to provide samples of urine, saliva or blood. Drug testing can only let the testers know if you have used drugs, but not the amount taken, nor when they were taken or if you are impaired at time of testing (except for alcohol breath testing that does measure impairment).

How long can different drugs be detected in your system after their use?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to give an exact answer to this question. Whether drugs can be detected in your system depends on a wide array of factors. These include:

the type of test (ie: saliva, blood or urine) ; and

the quality of the testing equipment (ie: the higher quality the testing equipment, the more likely the test is to pick up the presence of a drug).

Other factors include:

how long you’ve been using the substance (one-off use will likely pass quicker through your system, sustained use will stick around longer);

your body type; and

how fit and healthy you are.

For these reasons it is impossible to give a guarantee about exactly how long a substance will remain detectable. However, it is possible to offer a general guide to what can be considered likely, so long as it is kept in mind these are only estimates. Urine tests are generally more effective at detecting drugs in your system for a longer period of time than saliva or blood. Therefore, we have included the estimated time that a Urine Drug Screen (UDS) can be expected to detect a substance for:

• heroin or amphetamines in the prior 3–7 days;

• benzodiazepines in the prior 3–14 days (UDS can remain positive for benzodiazepines for longer than 2 weeks if patients are taking high doses of long acting benzodiazepines such as diazepam) .

• cocaine in the prior 2–3 days; and

• and cannabis usually for 3–14 days, although UDS can remain positive for cannabis beyond this period in frequent and regular cannabis users (e.g. 4–8 weeks).

Can you beat a drug test?

A lot of different methods are often proposed as ways to “beat” a drug test. The reality is, there is no guaranteed way to “pass” a test if you have drugs in your system the test would usually pick up. It is also worth keeping in mind that if you are caught attempting to “cheat” a drug test, the consequences can be worse than simply testing positive. Also keep in mind that people carrying out drug tests will likely be aware of common ways people use to seek to dodge a positive result.

What if I drink a lot of water or sports drinks?

People who have to do a urine test may seek to dilute their sample by drinking a lot of water, sports drinks or other liquids. This will only dilute the sample, it won’t guarantee a different result. Also, many urine tests measure the natural creatinine levels in your urine, so the testers can tell if you are trying to use this method to change the result.

Can heavy exercise help me pass a test?

There is some evidence that suggests working up a sweat will aid the body in processing a drug faster than otherwise. However, other studies have suggested that intense workout sessions may actually increase your odds of failing a drug test, depending on the ways in which the metabolites bind to fat cells. In short, there is no guarantee that exercise will increase your chances of passing a test. At best, it might help, at worse it may make things worse.

I’ve been told taking aspirin will help me pass a test

There is an dangerous myth that overdosing on aspirin can help you pass a drug test. Not only will this not help in anyway, it can cause kidney and liver failure if the overdose is severe. Over the counter pain medications don’t influence drug tests in any way.

I’ve been told you can buy “cleanses” on the internet that can help you beat the test

You are better off saving your money as these cleanses won’t help you pass a drug test. These cleanses advertise that they flush all toxins out of your body, ensuring your tests will be drug free. However, this does not guarantee a drug will be out of your system. For instance, THC metabolite stays in your fat cells and will continue to be detected in your urine for anywhere between days to months. These cures may be good for cleaning out our digestive tracts, but they won’t help you pass a drug test.

Can my employer legally drug test me?

Australian industrial courts and tribunals generally accept that random drug testing of employees by employers is an intrusion of an employee’s privacy. There are clear exceptions, however, on work, health and safety grounds.

Under work, health and safety legislation, an employer can legitimately introduce drug testing in the workplace under certain circumstances. Employers can argue they have a duty of care to other employees and/or the public to ensure that no employee works while impaired by alcohol or other drugs.

You are more than likely to be randomly drug tested if you work in manufacturing using heavy machinery, mining industry, transport industry, heavy vehicles, or passenger transport, or work in Corrections.

Beyond these grounds, however, no employer has the right to dictate what drugs or alcohol its employees use in their own time. You can read more at our Drug Testing in the Workplace page.

If I believe the results are wrong, is there anything I can do?

Yes. If you believe a positive result is wrong, you can ask to be retested. Drug tests are not 100% accurate and you have the right to challenge a decision you feel is wrong. If you are a union member, your union may be able to help. You can also speak to a lawyer. The Community Legal Centre website has a list of where you can get free legal advice.

What if I test positive to a police roadside drug test, but I’m no longer impaired?

Police use random mobile drug testing of drivers to detect the presence of drugs in a driver’s system. It is important to note that, unlike alcohol, the tests only determine whether there is drugs in your system, not whether you are actually impaired at the time of driving. You can face charges if you test positive, regardless of how long ago you consumed the drugs. For instance, if you test positive for THC, it won’t matter if you consumed it days ago or just before you got behind the wheel.

You can read more at our Roadside Mobile Drug Tests page.

Will I need to undergo drug testing to access Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP)?

Drug treatment services, like OTPs (ie: methadone, buprenorphine), often ask patients to undergo random drug testing. Before you start your treatment and throughout the course of it, you will need to do some Urine Drug Screens. Prescribers use these tests to find out about your substance use. The results help them decide if you can go up or down on your dose, if you need other help (like a selective detox) and if they should give you takeaways.

Having a UDS may feel like a breach of your privacy, especially if someone is supervising while you do it, but you will have to do one. Urine drug screens for OTP patients are covered by Medicare, so you won’t have to pay extra for them as part of your treatment.

There are no exact rules as to how often you have to do urine drug screens. However, the OTP clinical guidelines say that you shouldn’t have to do them regularly without reason. That means it is not okay for clinics to make you do a urine because “clinic rules” say you need to do a certain number, e.g. once a month. Testing should be based on “clinical observations”, for instance if you appear to be using street drugs and your doctor is concerned about overdose or wants guidance to help work out your best dose.

However, it is up to your prescriber or clinic to decide how often you should be tested, and you may have to do more tests depending on your circumstances. It usually ranges from once a month to once every 6 months, depending on how your doctor thinks you are going.

If you feel like you’re being unfairly targeted, take note of it, recording the date and situation. You can use this if you ever need to make a complaint. Doing regular UDS can be a useful record to show that you are not using street drugs, such as for a court case. Talk to your doctor if you want to request frequent UDS for any reason.

You can find out more about OTP and your rights and responsibilities at our Opioid Treatment Programs page.

Other there are circumstances where I may be asked to do a drug test?

There are other circumstances where drug tests may be used. For instance, sporting bodies carry out drug testing that can include testing for a range of illicit, not just performance enhancing, drugs.

Random drug tests may also be ordered by courts, for example the Family Court. The results are often used to help legal decisions in custody cases.