Toothpaste link to positive drug test

chasm

Sorry if wrong forum.
Just read this in gazette-news.co.uk, not sure if im more shocked by the findings or the fact that the school carries out random drug tests!


"School chiefs launched an investigation after two youngsters wrongly tested positive for drugs - because of their TOOTHPASTE!

A shocked Year 9 girl tested positive for the class A drug methamphetamine - or crystal meth - at Brightlingsea's Colne Community School, the Evening Gazette can reveal.

A Year 7 boy at the school gave positive results for the class B drug amphetamine - also known as speed.


Assistant principal Mark Thomson said they immediately knew the results were wrong because of the pupils involved.

He said it was a "nightmare" ordeal for the girl who tested positive in front of school pals. She had to wait for further tests to clear her name.

"Her parents took her to a GP for a urine test which, of course, was negative - she was totally clear."

The school automatically launched a probe into what happened. It emerged that using a leading brand of toothpaste could cause false positive drug results.

Random drugs tests at the school were immediately suspended. The programme has now resumed."

Overheal

And yet it doesnt go on to name the toothpaste brand.....and I can't find this on the google news engine either.

How were they drug testing these children? How did the GP test give different results?

Since when have there been random drug tests in schools?? Yet another thing I can't find in the Irish news engine. Startling.

Tabloid Crap.

Wertz

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article670013.ece

Yeah tabloid crap...
:rolleyes:

Seems that tests are random mouth swabs that would only be an indicator, NOT indictable evidence, sort of like the breathalyser...in both cases a more elaborate test (blood or urine) needs to be done to prove conclusive.

For toothpaste to set off a false positive for methamphetamine isn't unlikely, since most meth is made with chemicals found in household cleaning products.

Of course the real issue here is how many drug users employed by US multinationals are going to be walking around with halitosis from now on...

cornbb

Gotta hate the tabloid crap.

Poppy seeds can lead to a false positive test for heroin though, that one is true...

http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/poppyseed.asp
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_116.html

Black Swan

cornbb wrote:

Poppy seeds can lead to a false positive test for heroin though, that one is true...

According to drug test maker Bio-Rad Labs, this is correct.

Our man in Havana

Mythbusters also confirmed it.

Overheal

Poor Elaine...:(

spidermonkey

in fairness, if the students have to take drug test in front of their fellow students and teachers, the teachers should have to do the same. fair is fair!
which is worse,
one stoned pupil in the back of the class half asleep or one stoned lecturer at the top of the class half asleep,
which will cause more educational harm?

Overheal

Bulls41t: my best teachers were active/former potheads

Pherekydes

Bring back Dieter Baumann, all is forgiven!

swingking

very similar to a story I heard about a guy being over the legal limit for alcohol, for sucking a fishermansfriend

Don't really believe it though

Dragan

swingking wrote:

very similar to a story I heard about a guy being over the legal limit for alcohol, for sucking a fishermansfriend

Don't really believe it though

Had the fisherman's friend been drinking?