Many years ago I found the electrician dead from an overdose in his stateroom when he failed to turn to. When we picked him up off the deck the syringe he used to shoot himself up was still in the back of his hand. We bagged him up and put him in one of the chill boxes until we got to Honolulu. I asked one of the law enforcement guys how someone with a habit like that could pass a drug test. He said what they typically do is go on a mind-numbing drunk to deaden the withdrawal symptoms when they stop using. They do it long enough for the drugs to get out of their system. They pass the drug test since they don’t test for alcohol then go back to using.
This happened in the 1990’s. Don’t know if people still do that. BTW, the electrician was 55.
More than once, while waiting in line, I’ve seen guys thrown out of drug test/work physical clinics for attempting to pack piss or just generally doing weird shit in or around the restroom which is I guess a sign that they are trying to shift something in their pants around or stall until they can get the bag ready. So yeh I think people still do it.
Exactly that. Had a crew member get caught with the wizzinator, full of clean urine, in his bag during bag check while checking in at PHI. He was too dumb to actually wear it…maybe it was the drugs?
That that product, the ”whizzinator” (how wonderfully named) is manufactured and mass marketed is truly amazing, hilarious, and disgusting, all at the same time.
Why isn’t it a crime to manufacture, distribute, sell, buy, and possess this type of drug paraphernalia, that’s only purpose is to violate drug testing laws?
Is it time to simply admit the obvious: we have lost the war on drugs?
Is it time to put an end to this feckless military-industrial-complex pocket-lining, intrusive, offensive, expensive, time wasting, drug testing scam?
Well, I live in Colorado and I still hold my MMD - as long as I’m a part of a random drug testing program and don’t fail my drug tests. Of course, since I do live in Colorado I do get pulled for just about every random drug screen soooooo…
I agree. I have worked with complete alcoholics but they were sober when they came on board and could pass any drug test. On the other hand I lost some fine crew members due to a failed test for marijuana use . The marijuana tests for PAST use the alcohol test is for current use. If you haven’t been drinking in the last 24 hours you pass. The marijuana user even if he used 6 months ago with a hair sample fails. This to me the epitome of hypocrisy. I have a guy who’s hands are shaking from alcohol withdrawal but he stays while the guy that smoked a joint 3 months ago has to be fired and banned from the industry?? Makes no sense.
I’ve also sailed with complete alcoholic day workers who didn’t have to stand bridge watches and seen them get shit faced every night after the sun went down.
I’ve always heard that hair tests are more thorough and reliable, but the USCG does not use them or recognize them. They are also expensive test.
The oil drilling companies, and certain other employers, use hair tests.
I once knew a guy that supposedly failed a USCG urine test. He was not a drug user. He immediately went and got another urine test which he passed, and a hair test (which proved no drug use over many months). The USCG didn’t care; they suspended his license.
This is the reason for one of my least favorite Navy memories - proctoring the Whiz Quiz.
Nothing like spending half your day watching people pee into a cup. I can’t tell you how happy I was when I was no longer the most junior female above the rank of E5.
Sort of, it’s called a double blind Test. Basically when you pee in the cup, they then poured that sample into two vials, you probably initialed the seals on both of them. If one fails, they test the second vial with more scrutiny (making sure the initials match, using different equipment in case something was wrong with the other equipment., etc) The only way you can get a positive result back is either a) you’re using, b) they really fucked up the samples or paperwork somehow.
