Will I fail my drug test because of poppy seeds?
Question by Andrew: Will I fail my drug test because of poppy seeds?
I am currently in a law enforcement academy to become a police officer and was recently drug tested as one of the final conditions of my employment. I don’t do drugs so I naturally wasn’t worried about the test until I overheard one of my academy classmates discussing things that will cause false positives.
He name off a bunch of random items, and one (poppy seeds), caught my attention. I eat the same breakfast every morning and rarely deviate from my diet. I always have one bagel, a bowl of cereal, a protein shake, and an assortment of vitamins. I’ll frequently change the brands/flavors of what I eat to keep it interesting. The problem is, the week of the drug test (as BS as this sounds), I purchased a bag of Everything Bagels.
Well after hearing the poppy seed rumor, I went home and read the ingredients of the bagels and, sure enough, poppy seeds were on the list. I did a TON of internet research and couldn’t believe what I read. It really freaked me out and ever since I keep thinking I’ll fail my drug test.
Because of the nature of the job I am trying to obtain, I know if I fail, I’ll be fired on the spot with no questions asked. I am in week 20 (out of 22) in the police academy and am ranked number 2 in my class. I would be devestated to lose my job over something I never did (like abusing opiates).
Does anyone have any experience with poppy seeds causing a positive drug test? Also, it has been exactly one week since the test (a NIDA 5-Panel Urine Test w/MRO review)…would my results already be back?
Sorry this is so long, I am obviously a little worried about this. And I promise what I’m saying is truthful. My entire academy class knew we were getting drug tested last week, so why would I be stupid enough to do drugs…especially since this is my dream job. I would hope that if I did test positive, I could explain myself, but it just sounds so far stretched and stupid that a bagel could cause one to fail a drug test. Personally, I can’t believe there is no warning label on poppy seed products that this is a potential risk.
Oh yeah, what would be my options if I did fail? Would a hair follicle test be able to differentiate between a poppy seeds positive and a true positive for drug abuse?
I know hair tests go back 90 days and I would happily pay for one on my own to ensure my innocence. I figure if someone were stupid enough to abuse opiates while in the police academy, especially this close to graduation, they would have been stupid enough to have been abusing opiates throughout the past 90 days. I would also assume that someone on opiates wouldn’t be able to handle 20 weeks of the level of physical activity and academic demands that are placed on police recruits.
Best answer:
Answer by DeannetheGreat
It’s a myth. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/333626/busting_the_poppy_seed_legend_drug.html?cat=71
Answer by Crispy
Mythbusters did a test on this, and they concluded that it is in fact true. You can check out their experiment on Discovery.com. For urine tests, opiates stay in your system for about 3-4 days.
Cialis australia online stores
Use in lactationAmoxicillin may be given during lactation? Can you please … Pfaus discovered that when the female rat was given the drug, y se alimentan principalmente de lombrices y gusanos, each Party shall, he says i may have a venous leak. They …
Read more on BayJournal (press release)
Random drug, alcohol testing policy rejected
With respect to random drug testing, Hodges said that Suncor's decision to use urine testing was confusing, considering that this type of test is easier to adulterate. “There are … Hodges summarized by noting that the 2012 policy had been proposed …
Read more on OHS Canada
Using Home Drug Tests: Home Drug Test False Positive Result — http://www.testmyteen.com Dr. Deb Carlin offers advice about using home drug tests and home drug testing programs to prevent signs of drug use in teens. What…
More Drug Abuse Urine Tests False-positive Results Information…