I am currently under bond supervision (pre-court date), and am wondering if hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol obsorbed through the skin can cause an ETG test to come up positive.

I ask because I work as a Veterinary Technician, and use these substances on a daily basis. I am currently on a color system, and my color has been called for tomorrow (3/11/13). I have not drank anything (besides using mouth wash twice a day) since being on the color system, but am afraid that this will cause a positive test.

Also, I'm not in the program for alcohol abuse, so they might not even be testing for it (but they have stated that I am not allowed to drink alcohol or go anywhere that serves it). But after the terrible treatment I received from the police department, I wouldn't put it past them to try to screw me over again.

If you are using an alcohol based mouth wash.. expect to fail for that... (and it will be a legitimate fail because there are plenty of alcohol free mouthwashes out there). Those ARE on your list of things to not use.

No, it is not on the list of things to not use specifically. It only says no controlled substances not prescribed by a doctor,no alcohol, and no firearms. I just don't understand how they are allowed to use a test that is so unreliable, and so sensitive to common household products.

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Originally Posted by taysean

No, it is not on the list of things to not use specifically. It only says no controlled substances not prescribed by a doctor,no alcohol, and no firearms. I just don't understand how they are allowed to use a test that is so unreliable, and so sensitive to common household products.

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You just proved I was right... your list said no alcohol ( as you quote above)... unless it is an alcohol free version of the mothwash you use (and they do exist and are not hard to find, they are meant for kids and people in your situation)... it has an appreciable amount of alcohol in it. In fact its enough to make you fail a breatholyzer. And if a traffic stop was involved, get you a DUI conviction. That also includes all foodstuffs, beverages or medicines that have alcohol as an ingredient..

I've mamaged to make it 51 years without a problem... and most of the people I know have as well... and the ones I personally know that got a DUI / DWI conviction... all deserved them. Meaning it wasn't for hand sanitzer or some other reason other than injesting enough alcohol to fail.

I didn't get a DUI, but thanks for putting words in my mouth! And you also helped prove my point that these tests are so unreliable that mouth wash can get you thrown in jail for a DUI. But the government doesn't care on way or another, and will still arrest you if they feel like it. Also, I never asked for you opinion on the subject. A simple yes or no answer would have sufficed. Plus, I work in the medical field, and have to use multiple products with ethanol in it. I was just having a minor freak out before my first piss test. Thanks for being an about it!

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Can rubbing alcohol/hand sanitizer/mouthwash cause a positive ETG urine test

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A simple yes or no answer would have sufficed.

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Yes.

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Originally Posted by taysean

I didn't get a DUI, but thanks for putting words in my mouth! And you also helped prove my point that these tests are so unreliable that mouth wash can get you thrown in jail for a DUI. But the government doesn't care on way or another, and will still arrest you if they feel like it. Also, I never asked for you opinion on the subject. A simple yes or no answer would have sufficed. Plus, I work in the medical field, and have to use multiple products with ethanol in it. I was just having a minor freak out before my first piss test. Thanks for being an about it!

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If you had taken the time to read the site rules and terms of service that you agreed to abide when you joined. You would have read you don't get to dictate what or how someone answers.

Tests are reliable... they test for alcohol.. they get decent results... they don't get false positives. If there are false results they are false negatives not the reverse.

Mouthwash or whiskey... alcohol is not to be ingested according to your list. And in fact its not necessary to... because mouthwashes are easily available free of alcohol.

You would have to swim in ethanol to absorb what you would ingest with a single sip.

You have court ordered random tests... doesn't matter why for the purpose of this thread... you did something you shouldn't have and therefor have a set of rules to follow.

I know more than a thing or two about random workplace testing because I've been subject to them for almost 30 years due to the nature of my work. I've never had a problem yet... and never will.

You need to check your facts a little more on the subject and maybe learn about liver function and its metabolites before being so indignant on the matter. There are many things... including over ripe fruit... non-alcohol... that could lead to a false POSITIVE test. And yes, in the health care field, repeated use of an alcohol based hand sanitizer could lead to a false positive result.