Laboratories are a lot more sophisticated now, they aren’t simply doing a dip test; they are fully analyzing the urine sample under a microscope.

Not one but two of my fiancés employees got caught submitting synthetic samples during random drug tests. Had they just had a positive test, they would’ve been referred to counseling, but because they falsified samples they were immediately fired.

During HR questioning they both admitted to submitting synthetic urine. These conversations were recorded and transcribed, and are now part of each of their employment records. Because the employer was quasi-governmental, those transcripts are available to FOIA requests which jeopardizes their future in a couple ways.

1) half of all states in the US have laws on the books about falsifying drug tests. Some of them have laws specific to submitting synthetic samples. In states like North Carolina you could serve up to 3 years in prison on a first offense.

2) not only future employers, but also future landlords, bank loan officers, etc can access that information and use it to deny a job/housing/loan.

They were lucky that the lab was a private entity and not one required to report to government oversight (like for probation, parole, etc) because they would’ve been charged with falsifying evidence.

It’s much better here to test positive and accept counseling, because if you’re caught with a synthetic you’re not only liable to higher charges/consequences but you’re assumed positive anyways. But the recourse available to positive testers (like diversion or counseling) aren’t available if you falsify the test. Better to lose a job than to lose a job, get fined, and go to jail.

Stay hella hydrated, take vitamins, start the collection after you’re already mid-stream, and cross your fingers.

TL;DR: figure out your job’s policies, if you’re going to use a synthetic and happen to get caught, don’t tell HR/legal what you did.