Page 4 - Davis-Monthan AFB Desert Lightning News 6-19-15

4 June 19, 2015
Drug testing: What’s fact or myth?
Senior Airman Marcy Copeland
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA -- For
those who have donned a military service uni-
form, most have heard the myths and urban leg-
ends that surround random drug testing, with
the biggest question being “Is it really random?”
With facts received from the 56th Fighter
Wing Drug Demand Reduction, this article pres-
ents the truth about the process that begins with
a notification to “sign paperwork.” Hopefully, it
will dispel a few myths, some going back to the
dawning of urinalysis.
Myth: “They” wait until after I have used
the restroom to notify me that I have to re-
port for urinalysis.
Fact: First, there is no “they.” Personnel at the 56th
FW DDR notify each squadron’s trusted agent, who
is appointed by the squadron commander, to issue
notifications to the individuals selected. Individuals
selected will receive notice no earlier than one hour
prior to the scheduled starting collection time and
no later than one hour prior to the scheduled end
of collection time. The individual is informed that
they have to report and sign paperwork. Accord-
ing to Air Force Instruction 90-507-, notification
must occur in writing, which explains the phone
call about signing paperwork.
Myth: I always have to test when I return
from leave.
Fact: “When the drug testing program selects in-
dividuals and an Airman who is on leave is chosen,
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the DDR program manager is notified by the trusted
agent of the Airman’s leave status and return date,”
said Jennifer Dean, 56th Fighter Wing DDR pro-
gram manager. “When the next testing cycle begins
that Airman is then notified to report for testing. Just
because a person is on leave does not excuse them
from being tested which may make some people feel
like they are targeted after returning from leave.”
Myth: One batch of urine collected from a
number of donors is put in a giant cylinder,
and one sample is taken. If it tests positive,
those individuals are retested.
Fact: All urine samples are collected and put in
individual bottles, labeled with the Airman’s identi-
fication number, and shipped to Lackland Air Force
Base DDR testing center. Here, boxes are opened
and each individual bottle is removed and placed in
a machine which samples each specimen.
Myth: Do not eat anything with poppy seeds.
Fact: The poppy is an oilseed obtained from the
opium poppy. Although the drug opium is produced
by “milking” latex from the unripe fruits rather than
from the seeds, all parts of the plant can contain
or carry opium alkaloids, especially morphine and
codeine. This means that eating foods that contain
poppy seeds can result in a false positive for opiates
in a drug test. However, the results provided will not
be the same for someone who abuses opiates. The
Air Force has set levels that a sample has to meet to
be deemed positive for drug use.
“If a test comes back as positive, further testing is
done to rule out a false positive,” Dean said. “That is
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why poppy seeds can create a false positive, but it is
almost impossible to have a false positive for eating
poppy seeds, so please eat as much as you want.”
Myth: Selection is not random. I get called
for testing back-to-back.
Fact: The DTP system is given a random cutoff
number generated by taking the desired monthly
testing percentage and dividing it by the number
of days in a month that testing will occur. A ran-
dom number between 0.00 and 1.0 is generated
for all eligible roster members. The system then
compares the generated number to the cutoff
and selects the roster member if the generated
number is equal to or less than the cutoff num-
ber. No social security numbers, or names are
used to determine who is selected for testing.
“Some people question the randomness of the
selection process,” said Tech. Sgt. Victor Gruber,
56th FW DDR drug testing administrator manager.
“They think ‘oh they must have known I was on leave
or someone is out to get me.’ That is absolutely false.
The system is as random as a computer generated
system can be. It is not connected to any server or
system. The names are uploaded to the system and
that is the only way we know who is to be tested.”
With as many myths that accompany the facts
about urinalysis, the myths always seem to prevail.
The DDR program is there to deter drug abuse,
so if in doubt visit the center to get the facts. The
truth about the selection procedure is that it is the
result of true randomness. Some people are se-
lected often while others are seldom chosen.
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