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Original poster

Please help. DH applied for police force, passed all stages but failed final drug test. He has never taken drugs.

94 replies

ShowOfHands · 07/03/2007 15:12

Title explains it all really. DH was accepted into the police force, just had to have a drugs test as routine and has received a letter today saying he failed and they will no longer accept him. He cannot get in touch with anybody about it.

Believe me, he does not take drugs. He's a tee-total non-smoker and has never taken anything. There is no way.

It was a hair test, he was wearing hair gel and had probably taken paracetamol or nurofen in the month previous to being tested.

Any ideas?

What do we do?

I know we need to find out what he tested positive for, but this can't be happening and he is panicking/upset/devastated.

OP posts:
filthymindedvixen · 07/03/2007 16:41

Big bump??? What, are you *pregnant or something... How did that happen? I thought you have no vices...!

filthymindedvixen · 07/03/2007 16:43

May I torment you a little more....?

I still owe £3.97p in fines
And I once read a library book in THE BATH!!

Original poster
ShowOfHands · 07/03/2007 16:44

It is not fair to torment the pregnant. And I had no part in my becoming this way. I am pure as the driven snow thank you muchly.

Oh and there are lots of librarians on here. And we're watching you. Constantly.

OP posts:
WithAPissingSitter · 07/03/2007 16:45

I think one of DP's colleagues where we live had this same sort of test, but, afaik it was in conjunction with a urine test too. His came up positive and suffice to say he no longer works there. Would you want to contact local paper if contacting them gets you nowhere> Not that it would probably get you anywhere with the police iyswim. I do know of a case recently where the force is over subscribed, and an issue a chap had which was clear as day on his application was never made note of during the several stages of application, until his interview and it was given to be his reason for being unsuccessful. It also happens to be where the force has been found to 'positively discriminate'. No prizes for guessing his ethnic background.

Original poster
ShowOfHands · 07/03/2007 16:47

Such reckless abandon. How do you sleep at night?

Have you every used your underpants as a bookmark? Or a naked picture of yourself? Or a lettuce leaf?

Things I have found in books...

And 19% of our students claim to have had sex in the library. Filthy and it ruins the binding.

OP posts:
Mrsjaffabiffa · 07/03/2007 16:48

LOTS of librarians did you say.

Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Surfermum · 07/03/2007 16:50

Hi ShowofHands. I work in an in patient drug and alcohol unit. I've heard of patients having hair tests in the past and from what I remember they were able to detect the use of drugs going back some time, as opposed to urine or saliva samples that only showed the substances if they'd been taken in the last couple of days or so. It was expensive to get done though so we didn't use them routinely, but the were used occasionally if someone was in Court.

I'm not a clinician though and don't know any more than that. I'm at work tomorrow and could ask the nursing staff what their knowledge of hair testing is, if you'd like me to.

Sorry you have this to deal with on top of everything else.

Original poster
ShowOfHands · 07/03/2007 16:55

Yes please Surfermum.

Just heard from DH. It was cannabis.

No way. He has never touched it and I've known him since he was 17, many years ago. It's impossible. They're testing his B sample and he has to write to them and explain that he has used ibuprofen for a knee injury in the last three months (which can skew the results). They will then open an investigation based on the results from the B sample.

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 07/03/2007 16:57

what a day! you poor thing!

hope you get off work soon and can put your feet up

fingers crossed the B sample is ok

WithAPissingSitter · 07/03/2007 17:09

Hopefully that will bring good news then. Fingers crossed for you.

Indith · 07/03/2007 17:10

God that is horrible!

(we had an e mail round the other day about how we should not have sex in the library, distracts fellow students....)

filthymindedvixen · 07/03/2007 18:57

More [[[hugs}}}} to you and your lovely dh.

Best of luck.x

TwoIfBySea · 07/03/2007 21:44

ShowOfHands, both my mum and dh have been asked, obviously on separate occassions, if they are alcoholics after blood tests. Both are teetotal so never drink anything stronger than Irn Bru!

I would definitely fight this, I phoned my mum and she said she was told by her GP that it was an enzyme to do with the liver or the blood (it was quite some time ago so she can't remember what exactly.) It is an intolerance to alcohol that meant if you drink any alcohol you get physically sick. Dh hadn't asked as he was very insulted (his mum was an alcoholic which is why he doesn't drink) but when he was talking about it later I told him my mum had the same thing. It sounds bizarre but if there is something in the body that does that for alcohol then surely there is something that reacts for drugs?

Fingers crossed for you ShowOfHands, dh didn't get into the police a few years back because they were only recruiting ethnic minorities.

coggy · 07/03/2007 22:24

Sounds like the B sample could be the way to go then.....

A lettuce leaf........??!

Surfermum · 08/03/2007 21:48

Sorry, I didn't get chance to ask today at work. It was really manic on the ward today and every time I went to find our doctor or one of the nurses they were busy, then I got busy late afternoon and clean forgot before I went home. I will ask on Monday for you.

coggy · 10/03/2007 13:53

How are you doing SOH?

Original poster
ShowOfHands · 30/03/2007 16:51

Hello.

I hate it when threads are left hanging and you never find out the outcome of anything so...

We got the official certificate of the first positive test back and found that they hadn't found any drugs at all in DH's system, just a metabolite that could be linked with cannabis consumption (and could also be linked with ibuprofen, riboflavin and urine infections!). And it was only 0.002ng/mg (that's nanograms per milligram!) so the smallest amount you could imagine. Occupational health at the police force said that if it was a blood or urine test they would have just discounted it- no actual drugs and the tiniest trace of a metabolite that could be there for any reason. Unfortunately hair testing is not government approved or regulated so there are no cut-off points. The smallest nano-trace and you are in trouble! They agreed to a whole new batch of tests on the proviso that DH paid for them should they show up any drugs at all. Of course we agreed and while we knew that he had never taken a drug in his life, we have been extremely nervous while waiting for the results.

Anyway...

As of today DH is drug free. Second tests came back negative for any drugs or metabolites. They have discounted the first test and issued a full apology.

Thank you for all your kind words and support at the time. I can get on with having this baby knowing that DH isn't a suspected drug addict!

OP posts:
watkinsdivorcelawyer · 30/03/2007 16:52

Does that mean he is in then?

fannyannie · 30/03/2007 16:52

that's fantastic news SOH - does this mean he's now a policeman??? (or going to be?)

Califrau · 30/03/2007 16:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
ShowOfHands · 30/03/2007 16:53

He is in! Starts in July. I'm married to a uniformed chappie to be.

OP posts:
Miaou · 30/03/2007 16:54

oh that's brilliant!!! Fantastic news!!

collision · 30/03/2007 16:54

great news! You must be so relieved!

fannyannie · 30/03/2007 16:55

oo brilliant - BTW - when are you due??? Should you really be jigging round the library???

SherlockLGJ · 30/03/2007 16:58

I missed this first time out, however I am........... for you.