A mouth swab drug test, also called a saliva drug test, is used to detect drug residues left in a person’s mouth after drug use. They are used by corporations like Amazon to test employees for illicit drug use.
Since Amazon’s policies on drug testing have changed a few times over the years, it’s a good idea to educate yourself on when and how Amazon performs mouth swab testing for drug use. This article will explain some of the details of Amazon’s drug testing policies, as well as some ways to make sure you can pass these sorts of tests.
How to Pass a Mouth Swab Drug Test for Amazon
The best way to pass any type of drug test is to not use drugs. There are a few unique circumstances where medical drugs will cause false positives for drug testing, but these are rare and you can typically prove yourself clean by showing a subscription. That being said, understanding the testing itself goes a long way toward keeping your job.
Recently, Amazon relaxed their drug testing policies to allow marijuana users to retain their jobs. They were even so kind as to re-instate eligibility for people who were formerly let go due to testing positive for marijuana. Obviously, usage of other illicit drugs or intoxication on the job will still land you in hot water.
A mouth swab test is administered by a professional technician. Amazon performs these tests randomly or as part of an investigation into suspected illicit behavior.
The exact policies for administering mouth swab tests vary by region. If you’re curious, you can enquire about the exact policy at your location by contacting human resources.
Can I Pass a Mouth Swab if I Smoked The Night Before?
According to Fmahealth.org, a mouth swab test is used to detect residues left from oral drug usage. Components leeched into the saliva from the blood stream are typically not present enough to be detected by a mouth swab test. This means that a mouth swab test is used to detect residues between 5 minutes and 25 hours after use.
This means that if more than 24 hours have passed since you ingested or smoked marijuana, they probably won’t be detected by a mouth swab test. However, in order to be safe, it is always best to avoid drug use altogether. Other drugs have longer detection windows.
Of course, Amazon has relaxed some of their drug policies, as mentioned earlier. This means that not only will they no longer fire employees that test positive for marijuana use, they also will accept applications from people who were previously disqualified for marijuana use.
These policy changes came about due to the changing legality of marijuana across most of the US. Another factor that led to this decision was reportedly the fact that marijuana drug testing disproportionately affected people of color.
Of course, using marijuana on the job is still a no-no, so it goes without saying that it’s best to stay sober while actually working.
How Far Back Will a Mouth Swab Drug Test Go?
For marijuana (whether smoked or ingested), a mouth swab will detect residues between 5 minutes and 24 hours. However, for most other illicit drugs (cocaine, opiates, methamphetamine, etc.), the detection time goes all the way up to three days.
If you want to pass your mouth swab test, you will have to avoid using these drugs for three or more days. Again, it cannot be overstated that staying sober is the best way to pass any drug test.
What Can Be Detected in a Mouth Swab Test?
Mouth swab tests generally detect a wide range of popular recreational drugs, including but not limited to:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Opiates
- Methamphetamine
- Other amphetamines
- Benzodiazepines
- Buprenorphine
- Oxycodone
- Babiturates
- Phencyclidine
If you are a habitual user of these substances without a prescription, then you may be in danger of testing positive in a mouth swab test from Amazon. If you have a prescription, you might still get in trouble for using psychoactive substances at work.
Luckily, since mouth swab tests are only useful for relatively recent (within 3 days) drug usage, Amazon will typically only test you if they have an immediate reason to suspect you are intoxicated. That being said, some locations perform random testing, so it’s best to be prepared for the worst.
Want to learn more about Amazon? Learn if Amazon employees get free Prime, do you get paid for personal time off at amazon, and what to do if you Amazon package never arrives.
Conclusion..
If you’re worried about being hit with a mouth-swab test while working at Amazon, then the best thing to do is educate yourself about Amazon’s testing policies, as well as the mechanism behind mouth-swab testing. Of course, staying sober is always the best way to pass any drug test.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to fire away in the comments section.
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