-
-
Drug tests for construction workers
Workers on unionized construction sites in B.C. will be subject to mandatory drug testing under an agreement negotiated by construction companies and unions. Workers on unionized construction sites in B.C. will be subject to mandatory drug testing under an agreement negotiated by constructio... more
-
Cyclist first to fail drugs test
*note: Spain won the Tour de France 2008.
-
Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno has become the first athlete to fail a drugs test at the Beijing Olympics.
Moreno, who was entered for the women's road race and individual time trial, tested positive for the endurance-boosting drug EPO.
She could now face a two-year ban and, under a new International Olympic Committee rule, could also be banned from the 2012 London Olympics.
The IOC said it expected up to 40 positive drug tests during the Games.
The Spanish cyclist, also known as Maribel Moreno, was tested on 31 July and left the city before the Games began.
"She was quite different after being tested," secretary general of the Spanish Cycling Federation Eugenio Bermudez said.
"She was crying all the time and she insisted she wanted to go home."
Reports in Spain had earlier said the cyclist had pulled out after suffering an "anxiety attack".
A statement on the cyclist's official website posted on Saturday said Moreno was in Spain recovering from "a strong anxiety attack suffered in the athletes' village".
"Even though her state of health is good she does not feel ready to justify or explain her reasons for leaving the village," the statement said.
Spain's government insisted it would take the strongest action possible to eradicate the problem.
"We are going to hunt down these shameless people who harm our athletes. We are going to clamp down totally and will take the toughest action," said Spain's sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky.
"I ask you Maribel, looking you in the eyes, 'who gave you the substance and where did you buy it?'
"Anyone involved will get the maximum punishment. We will find out who supplied the substances and, if necessary, jail them."
The Spanish Olympic Committee (SOC) said it was unaware of the positive test until being informed on Monday.
"This is a stain on Spanish sport," said SOC chief Alejandro Blanco said.
Seven Russian athletes were last week provisionally suspended by the IAAF for doping offences, but they had yet to arrive at the Games. *note: Spain won the Tour de France 2008. - ... more -
Drug Test Tricks
Vinegar. Lemon juice. Drain-cleaning products. At least one of these items is probably in your kitchen. And any of them can be used to beat a drug test.
For about 20 years, people have been using a long list of very ordinary household items to confuse prospective employers and drug labs hoping to catch them in the act of using or abusing illegal drugs.
Add to the list laundry detergent, baking soda, and ordinary salt.
"Does it work? Yes, it does," says Amitava Dasgupta, PhD, a professor of pathology and drug testing expert from the University of Texas-Houston Medical Center. "It's a cat and mouse game."
Employer drug testing became popular in the late 1980s after President Ronald Reagan instituted drug testing as a requirement for federal jobs. Lots of private companies followed suit, and today thousands run drug tests on people applying for jobs.
Many schools also conduct drug tests on students trying to join sports teams, or, more controversially, sometimes conduct tests on a random basis.
Many household items change urine's pH, or acidity, when they're added to it; most of the time that renders a sample useless for testing. But these are not the cheating methods that worry testers like Dasgupta.
That's because labs can easily tell when urine has been adulterated with household items. Usually they just disqualify the applicant without even bothering to test for specific drugs.
Online Test-Cheating Industry
That's what happens with most of the so-called "detoxifying" drinks that can be found online. Most of the drinks are simply loaded with caffeine and come with directions to drink lots and lots of water. That dilutes the urine, which can sully a drug test.
But testers are prepared for dilution, Dasgupta says. Any sample below a certain concentration is automatically rejected, regardless of whether it has evidence of illegal drugs in it.
"There is no magic formulation which can take drugs out of your body," Dasgupta says.
Chris Faught, who heads chemical testing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, says his lab routinely sees dilution as a strategy to fool drug tests in the emergency room. "We get results that are simply suppressed so there's obviously an interfering substance. The old classic way is to drink lots and lots of water," he tells WebMD.
But the gigantic test-cheating industry, found mostly online, has given toxicologists like Dasgupta new problems to contend with. One popular formulation is called pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC). It destroys drug molecules in urine, potentially fooling drug tests.
But there's a catch: the simple addition of some hydrogen peroxide will turn a PCC-containing urine sample dark brown.
Testing for Marijuana Use
"The bottom line is toxicologists are smarter than drug abusers," Dasgupta told reporters at a meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry in Washington. "If try to cheat on a drug test, we will catch you."
That's usually true. But even Dasgupta concedes there are some holes in his drug-testing net. He says parents should be on the lookout for over-the-counter eyedrops. A full vial of the easy-to-buy product can successfully mask THC -- marijuana's active ingredient -- if it's added to a urine sample.
This cheating method doesn't work for heavy marijuana users. But for "borderline" tests, some eyedrops can envelop THC molecules, effectively hiding them from chemical detection, adds Dasgupta. Vinegar. Lemon juice. Drain-cleaning products. At least one of these items is probably in your kitchen. And any of them can be used to... more -
Drug tests? Britney Spears hits the snooze button
Spears has missed eight out of 14 calls telling her to show up for the court-mandated testing
-
Martina Hingis Tests Positive and Announces Retirement
After a positive test for cocaine at Wimbledon this year, the 27-year-old Swiss tennis star has announced her retirement again. "I have tested positive but I have never taken drugs and I feel 100% innocent," Hingis said. After a positive test for cocaine at Wimbledon this year, the 27-year-old Swiss tennis star has announced her retirement again. "... more
-
Pete Doherty's cat and cocaine
In important and pressing news, Pete Doherty of the band Babyshambles seems to have given his pet cat cocaine. I didn't know they even bothered testing animals for that kind of thing. In important and pressing news, Pete Doherty of the band Babyshambles seems to have given his pet cat cocaine. I didn't know the... more
-
City Drug Test
Researchers have figured out how to give an entire community a drug test using just a teaspoon of wastewater from a city's sewer plant. Researchers have figured out how to give an entire community a drug test using just a teaspoon of wastewater from a city's sewer ... more
-
No Dopes Allowed
China ups the drug tests for athletes. There will be no cheaters in Beijing!!
-
related topics
Drug Tests
Contributors (25)
Drug Tests
