It’s true. Synthetic urine is legitimately a thing. But, can you use fake pee to pass a drug test? Apparently, the phenomenon is becoming significantly more popular. Synthetic urine products are available for purchase at smoke and sex shops, and these conclusions are stumping testing labs around the globe. Here is everything you need to know about laboratory urine, drug tests, and more.
What is synthetic urine?
Synthetic urine is also known as “laboratory urine” or, more commonly, “fake pee”. This elixir mimics the chemical and visual properties of human urine. Synthetic urine is often used to pass urine analysis, also known as the dreaded drug test.
However, fake pee is a complicated solution to a surprise urine analysis. Success with laboratory urine takes some effort and making mistakes can put you at risk for test failure. Many people who use fake urine purchase special tools like bladders, tubes, and temperature strips to bolster their chances and avoid detection.
Fake pee comes in a couple of common forms, pre-mixed solutions or dried powders. These solutions can be bought at many smoke shops similar types of stores, or ordered online.
Both powders and solutions can expire, so it’s best to replace any unused kits that have been hanging around for a while. However, once activated, it is important to read the directions. Some solutions should not be used eight hours after use and many are single use only.
Other common uses for synthetic urine include:
- Kinky sex
- Animal repellant
- Theatrics or pranks
Is fake pee reliable for drug tests?
Synthetic urine can certainly fake a test, which is precisely what it is designed to do. There are many people who have successfully relied on synthetic urine in times of need. However, using the fake stuff is risky and may get you fired or earn you a fine in some states.
Though some argue that routine drug testing is an invasion of privacy and civil liberty, there’s no doubt that cheating on a urine analysis is taboo.
However, brave hearts interested in trying it anyway have some learning to do before they buy. There is no way to be 100% certain with fake urine. The overall quality and correct use of the product are of the utmost importance to overall success.
As technology improves, urine tests become more sophisticated and sensitive. A reliable synthetic will also need to evolve to fit the times. Here are a few things that determine the quality of a synthetic urine product:
- Must contain uric acid
- Must contain urea
- Must contain creatine
- Must contain nitrates
- Must be the correct temperature (90 to 100°F, 32 to 36°C)
- Must be a normal pH (between 4.8 and 8)
- Must have normal specific gravity (the density of urine compared to water)
- Recommended to have a urine smell and foam naturally
- Discretion (sometimes urine tests are monitored).
Using synthetic urine for a drug test is thought to be considerably easier for tests completed in a private bathroom. Understandably, the risk of being caught increases dramatically if you are being watched while you’re doing your business.
What do urine testing labs look for?
In the medical field, practitioners use urine to test for a wide variety of health details. However, drug testing is one of the most common scenarios in which someone might encounter a urine analysis.
Those hoping to gain a certain result on test other than a common drug screening should do some research on what their urine analysis is looking for before investing in fake pee.
However, when it comes to drug testing, there are a few misnomers about what exactly labs test. For example, the standard drug screen will NOT test for:
- Sex hormones (indicating gender)
- Genetic data
- Prescription medications (other than amphetamines, opioid medications, or compounds specified by the analysis)
- General health status
The standard urine drug test checks for the presence of five or six different substances. These include:
- THC (cannabis) metabolites
- Amphetamines
- Opiates
- Cocaine
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
- Alcohol (occasionally)
A drug testing lab will also check the following:
- Temperature
- pH
- Creatine
- Uric acid
- Urea
- Excessive nitrates
- Glutaraldehyde
- Specific gravity
Fortunately, the suspicion that a sample contains synthetic urine because of color, odor, or foam isn’t alone enough evidence to reject the sample. Though, it may certainly raise some unwanted red flags and may warrant further investigation.
Most labs, however, test the temperature of the urine sample within just a few minutes after receiving it. So, the temperature is important when trying trick an analysis. Synthetic urines can be re-heated as many times as needed.
Tests in recent years have become more sophisticated thanks to the increasing popularity of synthetic urine. To reject a sample, the testing lab has to scientifically prove the sample is fake.
In a sense, this creates a type of race between manufacturers of synthetic urines and testing laboratories. Both must continue to develop more sensitive tests and realistic products in order to out-compete the other.
Another important consideration is that different laboratories in different states must meet different testing requirements. In fact, starting from January 01, 2017, synthetic urine is banned in the state of New Hampshire.
The State Senate voted on the ban last year, passing Senate Bill 361 (SB 361). The bill bans the sale and use of synthetic urine and urine additives.
Under this new law, anyone caught using or selling synthetic urines will be fined a minimum of $500.
How long do different drugs stay in your system?
The amount of time different drugs stay in your system depends heavily on the amount consumed and your individual body chemistry. This is especially true for cannabis, which has a long half-life in the body.
In general, here is about how long you can expect to wait for different substances to clear out of your urine:
- Cannabis: 3-4 days for occasional consumers, approximately 30 days for chronic consumers
- Amphetamines: 2-3 days
- Cocaine: 2-10 days
- Phencyclidine (PCP): 7 days
- Opiates: 2-5 days
- LSD: 2-3 days
- Psilocybin: 5 days
- Ecstasy/MDMA/Molly/Sass: 1-3 days
Cannabis takes the longest time to leave your system as excess tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive in the plant, is stored in fat. As fat is burned, trace amounts of THC are re-released into the blood stream.
This is why chronic cannabis consumers can still test positive for the herb several weeks after last consuming. In one of the longest recorded cases, a consumer tested positive for cannabis 77 days after last taste. Some research also suggests that the greater your body mass index (BMI), the more THC is released.
This slow release of THC over time is not likely to cause a psychoactive high. However, it does influence the detection time of THC in urine. With such a long half life, many consumers who don’t make the cutoff times then turn to synthetic urine in desperation.
For more information on how long cannabis stays in your system, read the full article here.
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