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Stephen Sharp
Okay ladies and gentlemen, let's keep the political banter to a minimum, like zero. Mods will lock it up otherwise.
Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
(Post 805016)
...repost his message and TRY to have a discussion about it without diving into discussions that violate the TOS that [everyone] agreed to when [everyone] signed up for APC. Keep the Red-vs-Blue and names out of it and [y'all] can have [y'all's] discussion.
USMCFLYR
Originally Posted by stephensharp
Wow I am amazed at how many people out there shoot and ask questions later! I will set the record straight as to this whole ordeal. Before I even begin please click the link below and you will see that even if this product
was advertised to help pass a drug test there was never any federal law that covered it. Congress shot down the law. With this said I never, not even once marketed this product to federal employees, pilots, etc etc.. See here: H.R. 2802 [109th]: Drug Testing Integrity Act of 2005 (GovTrack.us) THE STORY: Back in 1997 I started my own nutrition company consisting of herbal products, drug testing products, home health tests, sports enhancers, etc etc. I had about 30 web sites, one for each product. The "Your In The Clear" product (yes I know about the grammar you're versus your) was advertised as a toxin cleanser and had its own web site www.yourintheclear.com (No one would type in "Your'RE or Youre in the clear", I tested it). The web site talked mainly about "false positives" and such and this product was nothing more than a diuretic to help flush your body. It did mention unfair drug testing and various drug cutoff limits but nothing of passing your federal drug test or help for truck driver, pilots, train engineers, etc et. Nothing was ever mentioned of pilots, train engineers, truck drivers, etc EVER. There was never any malicious comments or remarks. This was simply simply a product that could be used to help flush your body of harmful metabolites, drug, chemical, free radicals, etc etc. My understanding of this is if you can go to WalMart and purchase a drug test like here: Walmart.com: First Check: 4 Drugs Tested Home Drug Test, 1 ct: Medicine Cabinet why can you not cleanse your body?? In the airline world we get random drug tests and there is no product that can help with a random drug test except being drug free. Once again there is a scare there for failing a drug test with a false positive and this is where a detox product may indeed help. It happens more than you may think. By 2003 my nutrition company started to grow and expand into an more "all natural" organic, herbs, salts, tea, etc etc company. I now had about 300 products. I could no longer make a web site for each product therefore started two main online stores Wholesale Organic Herbs - Gourmet Spices For Top Chefs and Organic Herbs And Cooking Spices. The orginal 30 web sites I started with were no longer maintained or updated from about the year 2000 but were still live online. In early 2008 about 10 online stores were raided as a result of operation True Test overseen by PA district attorney Mary Beth Buchanan. All of these web sites but one are still operating today and selling exclusively drug testing products unlike the theme of my store which has to date 1800 mostly organic and all natural products. We do still sell home drug test kits and such just not the Your In The Clear product as I voluntarily removed this in 2008 in an effort to show it was not a significant product of mine. In total I had only a few hundred sales of this product ever. With much criticism in the press towards Buchanan as far as being overzealous and abusing her power I simply have no comment to make. I am not here for a finger pointing war. You can google her and make your own judgements. She faced termination in late 2009 and stepped down from office. Anyway during this horrific event and while I was at work in CLT federal agents turned our house upside down and desperately wanted to find drugs or anything illegal. There was nothing to be found, nothing. Shortly after I sought the help of two prominent federal defense attorney's. They agreed there was no law that covered this one particular product I was selling. Also for the record there was never a relation to my airline position and my nutrition business. This product was in my store years before I even started taking flight lessons. Was this product maybe in grey area after I became a professional pilot in 2004? Yes maybe but at the time my nutrition business was growing too fast that I never took the time to reflect on all my products, nor did I ever think I was selling anything illegal as still today there are hundreds of web sites selling detox products. By 2008 I had about 1200 products in stock at my warehouse and my average work week between both jobs was 80+ hours. Once the government found out I was an airline pilot the **** hit the fan. They spent all of 3 years investigating me, interviewing all my friends from Boston and Florida, combing through me tax returns, sending FDA warning letters and more. They were convinced that I must have been using drugs if I was selling a product to detox your body of drug metabolites. They only saw that one web site yourintheclear.com and not my entire store. Anyway rightfully so, I think I wouldhave thought the same if I was the government. I can honestly say that I have never used drugs in my life and now they were finding this out. I think this is when they moved to plan B. Next the government proceeded at first to threaten me with a whole slew of charges such as mislabeling, unnaproved new drugs, etc etc. My attorneys fought back and things quieted down. It is now late 2009 and I am in the hole for all of $58,000 so far for legal fees and FDA consultants. I am 100% fighting this to the end as I kfirmly believe I sold nothing illegal nor did I ever advertise this product or knowingly sell EVER to any federal employee, truck driver, pilot, train enginner, etc etc. nor was never any proof of this either. Those words were used to make great press headlines and that is it. Don't believe everything you read. Just about that time the bomb dropped. My attorney told me that because this was a home based business they can and will charge my wife should I decide to proceed to a trial. Not only that but the cost would be at least another $50,000-$60,000 to battle to the end not to mention multiple trips to PA. As my family is most important to me my only option was to come to an agreement with the government. By now this nightmare is several years old and no end in sight unless I end this. In early 2010 we came to an agreement that I would admit guilt to conspiring to defraud the US by trying to impede or obstruct a government function. I knew the consequences and such to this but in an effort to keep my family safe I made a quick and decisive move to put a mark on my otherwise spotless record. On April 29th we had a meeting in Pittsburgh federal court and I signed the agreement. This is when the airline was mentioned with the local press sitting in the back. From there all hell broke loose in the press. PSA has been aware of my situation since it first happened. All who know me and have flown with me know the type of person, pilot, and husband/daddy I am. Please don't be so swayed by press hype. To all my friends and fellow pilots who have supported me and who have been aware of this whole ordeal from the getgo I thank you. As far as punishment although nothing is ever guaranteed in this world my attorney says that due my clean record and the nature of this whole case he is very confident I will be adjuducated with term of probation. Judge Cercone is a very fair judge and has great insight on this matter. We are hoping to have this cleaned off my record for good once my probation is done. After reading through eveyone's comments I think the one that hurts the most is the comment by CAPTKRUNCH a fellow PSA Pilot whom I know and was about the 2 CRW pilots losing their job but me keeping mine. To be honest with you CAPTKRUNCH I wish nothing more than to have those two guys get their jobs back. I would sacrifice my job to get their's back. I have another means of income and they may not. I am also on unpaid leave now with a future meeting planned and my future uncertain. Sincerely, Stephen Sharp PSA Airlines |
First post [REPLY] in the new thread and already off topic. Not a good start.
USMCFLYR |
You'd think this Stephen Sharp guy would be more interested in defending himself to a judge as to keep himself out of jail, as opposed to defending himself on the internet.
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It sounds like he has been defending himself to the legal system for sometime. Acceptance by ones' peers can be very important. I'm not surprised that he would come on this forum and defend himself. Of course for all of those saying don't believe everything you read (usually meant from the media point of view - and a phrase that this guy used himself in his defense), people should take that same advice when reading an argument written by the person accused.
USMCFLYR |
Definately interesting to hear the other side of the story, I believe I was on the side of sanity all along.
This does raise an interesting question... What do you do if the government targets you? They have unlimited resources, you don't. At a certain point maybe you do just have to say, "fine I did it, you got me" even if you don't believe that just because it isn't worth the fight. Isn't there some abuse of power there? We're gonna prove you did something even though we turned your house upside down and didn't find anything and we charged you with selling a product that isn't illegal. Maybe the real story here is just the excesses government can go to, just lay low and maybe the government will leave you alone. Just don't dare to prosper because that's unamerican. I still assert that if the government has found out that people can defraud these tests by using detox product then it's really their task to change tests, not prosecute the sellers of such products. Go to a hair test, when people show up bald it's going to be more obvious.... and if you're really concerned that people used it to defeat federal drug tests, retest everyone, I'm all for shrinking the size of government if there's a bunch of druggies payroll goes down..... though I question the true issue that joe IRS telephone answerer really needs to be pot free on the weekend. This is my issue with many issues of politics, politicians treat the symptom not the cause, MAKE A NEW TEST. |
Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
(Post 805050)
It sounds like he has been defending himself to the legal system for sometime. Acceptance by ones' peers can be very important. I'm not surprised that he would come on this forum and defend himself. Of course for all of those saying don't believe everything you read (usually meant from the media point of view - and a phrase that this guy used himself in his defense), people should take that same advice when reading an argument written by the person accused.
USMCFLYR |
Originally Posted by Ziggy
(Post 805071)
The problem is the media needs to sell their product. So they sensationalize it to capture the audience, especially true with headlines. How many headlines have you read, then read the article to find out the reverse was true? And how many people actually take the time to read the article, vs just relying on the headlines. This and the reporters have started commentating and adding in their own opinions doesn't help the matter.
I'm certainly not saying that the media gets all (or most of the facts) right. I'm also just as wary of putting 100% faith into some guy's internet defense statement. People need to take away from this discussion, and others like it, that the truth oftens falls somehwere in the middle. If you believe in the legal system - then the gov't isn't just prosecuting this guy with no proof of a crime. The gov't actually has to work harder to get a conviction than the defense has to go about priving innocence. If the gov't is working this hard then they must feel like there was some law - whatever it was - mislabeling, misrepresentation, misinfomration, truth in advertising, lord I don't know - broken. On the other side of the issue is this guy who has his team of lawyers showing how each of those isn't illegal. A judge (and possible jury - though it sounds unlikely) will make the final determination based on LAW. If he doesn't like the outcome, he will appeal. If he loses the appeal then he might appeal again and again. At some point he may (according to his story) decide to cut and run and take a slap on the wrist. USMCFLYR |
...::::rolleyes::::...
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You must have missed the first reply after you reposted his statement. Off topic and not relevant to the discussion.
Your post - the repost - is still there isn't it? USMCFLYR |
Originally Posted by Blueskies21
(Post 805056)
This does raise an interesting question... What do you do if the government targets you? They have unlimited resources, you don't. At a certain point maybe you do just have to say, "fine I did it, you got me" even if you don't believe that just because it isn't worth the fight.
Isn't there some abuse of power there? We're gonna prove you did something even though we turned your house upside down and didn't find anything and we charged you with selling a product that isn't illegal. Maybe the real story here is just the excesses government can go to, just lay low and maybe the government will leave you alone. Just don't dare to prosper because that's unamerican. |
Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
(Post 805120)
You must have missed the first reply after you reposted his statement. Off topic and not relevant to the discussion.
Your post - the repost - is still there isn't it? USMCFLYR |
Originally Posted by USMCFLYR
(Post 805043)
First post in the new thread and already off topic. Not a good start. USMCFLYR You must have some spooky mind-reading skillz. ;) . |
Originally Posted by CaptainCarl
(Post 805123)
Aha... Roger that.
Originally Posted by TonyC
(Post 805125)
I thought the first post in a new thread defined the topic.
You must have some spooky mind-reading skillz. ;) . The first REPLY in the new thread was off topic. USMCFLYR |
Ahhhhh. It's not mind-reading skillz, it's reading-deleted-posts skillz.
Your edit-posts-as-long-as-you-want skillz make your first post in the thread (the first reply which the rest of us can see) make more sense. Thanks for the clarification. :) Sorry for my slowness (and lack of skillz). . |
Originally Posted by TonyC
(Post 805133)
Your edit-posts-as-long-as-you-want skillz make your first post in the thread (the first reply which the rest of us can see) make more sense.
. Addendum: I am slow. Forget it. |
I confess, it even gave me a double-take on the subject-verb, singular/plural agreement thing. The unconventional spelling of skills and the parenthetical phrase complicated things.
And now we've both contributed to thread drift. Oops. :eek: . |
Originally Posted by Blueskies21
(Post 805056)
This does raise an interesting question... What do you do if the government targets you? They have unlimited resources, you don't. . that happened to me once. i was buying my wife some lingerie when an old college friend of mine slipped a digital video into my bag when i wasnt looking. it turns out that video was footage of the murder of Congressman Phil Hammersly. well, luckily for me, this old paranoid guy that used to work for the NSA got in contact with me and we evaded the government for several days while they all chased after us. the bad news is they killed an old girlfriend of mine trying to frame me. we set them up good though...we told the government that these mafia guys got the tape they want...we told the mafia guys that the government guys were after some other tape. well they had a big shootout. it all turned out good for me. |
Originally Posted by DryMotorBoatin
(Post 805227)
that happened to me once. i was buying my wife some lingerie when an old college friend of mine slipped a digital video into my bag when i wasnt looking. it turns out that video was footage of the murder of Congressman Phil Hammersly. well, luckily for me, this old paranoid guy that used to work for the NSA got in contact with me and we evaded the government for several days while they all chased after us. the bad news is they killed an old girlfriend of mine trying to frame me. we set them up good though...we told the government that these mafia guys got the tape they want...we told the mafia guys that the government guys were after some other tape. well they had a big shootout. it all turned out good for me.
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Originally Posted by DryMotorBoatin
(Post 805227)
that happened to me once. i was buying my wife some lingerie when an old college friend of mine slipped a digital video into my bag when i wasnt looking. it turns out that video was footage of the murder of Congressman Phil Hammersly. well, luckily for me, this old paranoid guy that used to work for the NSA got in contact with me and we evaded the government for several days while they all chased after us. the bad news is they killed an old girlfriend of mine trying to frame me. we set them up good though...we told the government that these mafia guys got the tape they want...we told the mafia guys that the government guys were after some other tape. well they had a big shootout. it all turned out good for me.
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Originally Posted by Blueskies21
(Post 805247)
But what if there aren't any old paranoid guys to help me and I don't want my ex g/f's dead?
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It seems if somebody wants to do you in, all they have to do is report you as to Homelandland Security, as you being a, "Home Grown" Terrorist, the machine will do the rest.:eek:
Homegrown terrorists I am hearing more and more about them on Fox news. Question, If you track down and follow a Homegrown terrorist to its Lair, and you "smoke" it! Is that considered good or bad? |
After reading the original thread and Steven's defense, it got me to thinking...(I know...shocking, eh?)
-I'd hate to be the target of some over-zealous DA trying to make a name for themselves by trampling on me. -Once you have a drug test, it's not tested in your presence, lab people make mistakes too, and you can even get false positive results from pregnancy tests. -I've been tested 6 times in one year...they don't want positives, so if you're clean, your # comes up more often. -Testing is a witch hunt...if it was about safety, you'd never get tested after your trip. BUT -Come on, dude...you're an airline pilot selling drug cleansing products on a site called "yourintheclear.com"...with a pun on urine...really??!! -This holistic voodoo "body cleansing" (nudge-nudge-wink) is crap, and there are rarely ever "false positives" that Mr. Sharp says exist. -I've been around enough stoners that I don't want them in my cockpit or using products to evade drug tests. -I liked flying better when pilots smoked Lucky Strikes, and they only had to worry about the V.D. test from the long layover in 'Po City... |
Originally Posted by NoStep
(Post 805328)
After reading the original thread and Steven's defense, it got me to thinking...(I know...shocking, eh?)
-I'd hate to be the target of some over-zealous DA trying to make a name for themselves by trampling on me. -Once you have a drug test, it's not tested in your presence, lab people make mistakes too, and you can even get false positive results from pregnancy tests. -I've been tested 6 times in one year...they don't want positives, so if you're clean, your # comes up more often. -Testing is a witch hunt...if it was about safety, you'd never get tested after your trip. BUT -Come on, dude...you're an airline pilot selling drug cleansing products on a site called "yourintheclear.com"...with a pun on urine...really??!! -This holistic voodoo "body cleansing" (nudge-nudge-wink) is crap, and there are rarely ever "false positives" that Mr. Sharp says exist. -I've been around enough stoners that I don't want them in my cockpit or using products to evade drug tests. -I liked flying better when pilots smoked Lucky Strikes, and they only had to worry about the V.D. test from the long layover in 'Po City... |
I have to disagree. He was selling this since 1997 as he stated. All of a sudden he becomes an airline pilot and is supposed to stop selling something that clearly is not illegal. While maybe bad ethics, legally wrong no way. I bet you 1000 to 1 he has no partake in any drug use either. Went to his online store and they do sell drug tests and such. Why the hell can't you clean your body??? I don't care if your an airline pilot or ballerina, there have been times when I have been at a party and there was pot smoking. As I usually leave the room or premises there is a good chance the second hand smoke may affect a drug test. Did you know there is cocaine traces on 90% of money bills? Nope you didn't, see here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18obcoke.html This is a blatant "Make An Example Out Of Him" example. I have been in this business for 20+ years and our constitutional rights are chit on every day. If he was a drug user which I doubt then for god sakes make a better drug test not put this guy out to pasture. And to NOSTEP you obviously wear your uniform with pride but have no intellectual insight. You really think there are stoners in the cockpits?? The wool is heavily pulled over your eye lids. There all false positives all the time, maybe not in the airline genre but there are so many things that cause false positives. See here: False Positives on Drug Tests I side with the pilot on this one. |
Originally Posted by NoStep
(Post 805328)
-This holistic voodoo "body cleansing" (nudge-nudge-wink) is crap, and there are rarely ever "false positives" that Mr. Sharp says exist.
Also, they are many many products available designed to flush toxins from your system. Many supplements, such as Milk Thistle, naturally clean the liver, for example. Cranberries have been known to clear the urinary tract and so on. There is a large market for cleansing products which have nothing to do with drug testing. There are also body-cleansing diets, such as the lemon diet and other fasts. Toxins in the body are known causes of disease. In fact, anything organic is a hot item today for this very reason. People are searching for ways to live longer and staying healthy by reducing toxins in the body. Nothing voodoo about it. |
Originally Posted by AKASHA
(Post 805744)
False-positives do exist and are a very real threat. There has been plenty research done, plenty has been written on the subject. Many drug-testing procedures ask you to list any medications you may be taking. This is because of the risk of creating a false-positive. There are other causes as unitedpilot points out in above post. A false-positive is not Sharp's creation as you imply.
Also, they are many many products available designed to flush toxins from your system. Many supplements, such as Milk Thistle, naturally clean the liver, for example. Cranberries have been known to clear the urinary tract and so on. There is a large market for cleansing products which have nothing to do with drug testing. There are also body-cleansing diets, such as the lemon diet and other fasts. Toxins in the body are known causes of disease. In fact, anything organic is a hot item today for this very reason. People are searching for ways to live longer and staying healthy by reducing toxins in the body. Nothing voodoo about it. Maybe there is a legitimate marketplace for the items he is selling, however it tip toes around the notion of ensuring a clean drug test by cleansing the body. Like it or not, it implies a method that will positively influence the results of a federally mandated drug test. It is the equivalent of an individual creating a plastic handgun that is said to be made from biodegradable materials while being lightweight and easier to shoot. I would bet the TSA would REALLY be interested in such a device, and rightfully so. There a certain things in life people should not tip toe around, and this pilot should have known better regardless of when he got involved his company. |
Anyone remember the Duke rape case? There was a DA that was so determined to get his case he ruined tons of lives, for nothing. There are plenty in the power positions that want to have "their big case" that everyone can associate to.
I don't know the facts, so I can't judge on either side, but it wouldn't be the first time someone with a law-degree really thought they had someone, and had just enough power to ruin their lives just to get a plea. And also not the first time someone has done something illegal and maybe gotten away with just a slap on the wrist. Personally, I think there are bigger problems to solve, and just shows you how much of a waste the overall system is. What good has come of this result? |
Side With Pilot
[quote=DeadHead;805780]Like it or not, it implies a method that will positively influence the results of a federally mandated drug test.
quote] Unless the website was www.DearAirlinePilotBeatYourFederallyMandatedDrugT est.com then you as I said are uneducated on our privacy laws. I guess our 5th and 6th amendment rights are no good right?? See you don't even know what they are because your prestiguous "Ailrine Pilot" title is what matters. Get off your high horse and down to what is really illegal here to constitute this misdeameanor or felony charge whatever it is. How can someone sell a drug test drink to pilots right????? That is everyone's first response. We don't even know if he sold it to even one pilot do we? Please spare me your banter. If he was a drug user or actually sold to pilots then this will be revealed. Have you seen his guys web site?? Well I have and I truly think this was purely a selective prosecution and have no idea who this dude is. Chit he probably jump seated with me today and I would probably give him a tighter handshake rather than a shrug on my shoulders. His airline career is now in the chitter forever basically as well as his reputation if he had any. This whole story smells like chit. I side with the pilot. |
Originally Posted by unitedpilot
(Post 805664)
As I usually leave the room or premises there is a good chance the second hand smoke may affect a drug test.
I'll side with the docs and scientists on this one. USMCFLYR |
Originally Posted by unitedpilot
(Post 805664)
I have to disagree....
.....I have been in this business for 20+ years And to NOSTEP you obviously wear your uniform with pride but have no intellectual insight. You really think there are stoners in the cockpits?? ... See here: False Positives on Drug Tests I side with the pilot on this one. It's intellectually dishonest to sell drug test kits and a "cleansing" product on a website with a double-entendre of "urine", (i.e. www.yourintheclear.com). Even Mr. Sharp admits how that appears. It's similar to head shops selling "tobacco" bongs. Not illegal, but everyone knows what they're used for. I've also been kicking around the airline business for 20+ years, and only know of 1 positive drug test...and it wasn't a false-positive, (a flight attendant who had problems). How many are you aware of? (I agree, even 1 false-positive is too many when it destroys a person's life) That's a pretty good track record, and allowing split samples (if you can pee that much) manages the risk of false-positive. He either doesn't know at all what impression his products and websites imply, or he's got a serious lack of judgement, given his position at a 121 carrier. Agree to disagree... |
Some Factual Insight
Sorry you are out of your league on this one. Below is a study I was very much part of back in 1998.
TEST STANDARDS AND ACCURACY The accuracy of drug testing is an area where I've decided to neglect all statistics. Those who oppose drug testing provide numbers indicating a high level of false positives. Those who favor drug testing provide numbers indicating high levels of accuracy. The fact is that accuracy varies widely from lab to lab. Generally speaking, NIDA labs are accurate. NIDA (The National Institute of Drug Abuse) is the government organization responsible for regulating the drug-testing industry. The vast majority of urine drug screens done these days conform to NIDA specs, and ALL testing associated with the government (department of transportation, etc.) complies with the NIDA standard. It is NIDA that decides what the "safe" cutoffs are to avoid false positives.... Despite what you might hear on the net, urinalysis, if done correctly, is a very accurate scientific procedure. I know of no labs that simply report the results of the initial EMIT screening without confirming the sample on GC/MS. The fact is, labs WANT you to test negative, because then they only have to run an EMIT test on your urine (a few cents). If you test positive, they must then confirm the positive result on GC/MS, which is considerably more expensive. . . . Incidentally, the machine which tests the hair is a relative of the GC/MS, but is FAR more precise. It can accurately detect levels of THC in a solution that are below 1 ng/mL! CAP (College of American Pathologists) also certifies laboratories the way NIDA does. NIDA keeps it's labs in check by sending positive and negative double-blind samples. Lab personnel does not know what samples came from NIDA. If the lab results are wrong, NIDA may take away the labs certification. Only labs that perform the GC/MS on site can be NIDA certified. Labs that send samples to another laboratory for GC/MS confirmation are ineligible for NIDA certification. "Drug testing when done properly with all required controls and confirmation procedures is very accurate and reliable" (anon1).Not all labs are NIDA/CAP certified. Some labs do not properly and thoroughly clean the GC/MS equipment. Some labs don't even do a GC/MS confirmation! Some labs use cheap alternative methods to reduce expenses. Many human errors occur in labs and cause inaccurate results. Some are careless or irresponsible errors, and some errors are accidents. Human error can ruin the results of ANY test, screening or confirmation GC/MS. The only lab you should be concerned with is the one that is testing you. Only Federal jobs require NIDA standards. Your typical private employer may use any lab s/he chooses, which would very likely be the least expensive. Businesses don't always choose NIDA labs that follow-up a positive screening test with a confirmation GC/MS. Procedures used: In the workplace, an EMIT screening is typically used, with a CG/MS confirmation if the EMIT is positive. However, this is not a rule; employers can, and some do, use unusual procedures. Some employers use the RIA, and some use the hair test. The government uses RIA. They may or may not supervise the subject. Olympic athletes must be monitored by courier after a competition. The courier stays with the athlete until the athlete urinates, with a time frame of up to sixty minutes. False positives: No laboratory process is completely free from error. The GC/MS test is virtually error free, but the EMIT is far from accurate. There are some false positives you should avoid if you're getting an EMIT test. Take this seriously; false positives run high. If you know that there will be a GC/MS confirmation test, you can disregard this section. It would be too lengthy to list all of the false positives here. Jeff Nightbyrd's "Conquering the Urine Tests" pamphlet lists a majority of the false positives in detail. (If you are clean, want to get back at the testing industry for conducting these absurd tests, and know that there will be a confirmation test, you could consume several false positives. This would force labs to pay for the high priced GC/MS test, eventually drive up test expenses. You will still pass the test as long as you didn't use any true positives.) Ibuprofen: Ibuprofen is a common pain reliever that (even in low dosages) used to cause a false THC positive on the EMIT test. The EMIT has been changed to use a different enzyme to eliminate false positives due to Ibuprofen. Ibuprofen in very high doses will still interfere with both the EMIT and the GC/MS. There is some conflicting data here because some sources say that the GC/MS tests can distinguish between Ibuprofen and THC (as well as other over-the-counter drugs). Cold remedies, pain relievers, hay fever remedies, & diet pills: Decongestants and diet pills result in false positives for amphetamine use in one third of the test samples given to 40 of the countries leading laboratories. There are roughly 300 over-the-counter drugs that cause false positives on the EMIT. Antibiotics: Certain antibiotics (like Amoxicillin) are claimed to cause a positive for heroin or cocaine. My expert source was unable to verify this, so I regret that there is some uncertainty here. Melanin (black skin): Melanin is the brown pigment that protects your skin from UV rays. It was raised as a discrimination issue in the 1980's, and argued that melanin's molecular structure is similar to that of a THC metabolite. Subsequent research revealed flaws in the data. Melanin was found to have no effect on THC metabolite testing. DHEA: DHEA taken by AIDS patients will cause a false positive for anabolic steroid use. Dental treatment: Caine products (like novacaine) used in dentistry have been known to cause false positives for cocaine. True positives (legitimate): Some legal products actually contain small amounts of illegal chemicals. All tests, including the GC/MS, will test you positive because the metabolites derived from the true positive are identical to the metabolites of the illegal drugs. One exception: poppy seeds will not cause a positive GC/MS (explained below). Poppy seeds: Poppy seeds, usually on breads, contain traces of morphine, and lead to positives for opiates. According to Dr. Grow, eating a pastry filled with poppy seeds will bring results showing that you are a *high level* opiate user. Harold Crossley, a nationally known chemical dependency expert, said you would have to eat 100 poppy seed bagels to score a positive on a drug test. When taken into account that very few poppy seeds are sprinkled on bagels, you can see that poppy seeds from a hundred poppy seed bagels will easily fill a single large pastry. Purim cookies, a Jewish food known as Hamantashen, may have five to six tablespoons of poppy seeds. A couple Purim cookies may cause a positive test. Poppy seeds can be distinguished from illicit drugs on the GC/MS test. Although poppy seeds have the same metabolites as opium, these metabolites are shown to have different patterns when viewed with the GC/MS. Testosterone supplements: Orchic extract (found in bull's balls) will give a positive for anabolic steroid use. It is a legitimate substance that causes the test to imply that you abuse steroids. |
Originally Posted by unitedpilot
(Post 805912)
diet pills: Decongestants and diet pills result in false positives for amphetamine use in one third of the test samples given to 40 of the countries leading laboratories. There are roughly 300 over-the-counter drugs that cause false positives on the EMIT. Did the yourintheclear site get taken down btw? All im seeing is a godaddy page |
[quote=unitedpilot;805812]
Originally Posted by DeadHead
(Post 805780)
Like it or not, it implies a method that will positively influence the results of a federally mandated drug test.
quote] Unless the website was www.DearAirlinePilotBeatYourFederallyMandatedDrugT est.com then you as I said are uneducated on our privacy laws. I guess our 5th and 6th amendment rights are no good right?? See you don't even know what they are because your prestiguous "Ailrine Pilot" title is what matters. Get off your high horse and down to what is really illegal here to constitute this misdeameanor or felony charge whatever it is. How can someone sell a drug test drink to pilots right????? That is everyone's first response. We don't even know if he sold it to even one pilot do we? Please spare me your banter. If he was a drug user or actually sold to pilots then this will be revealed. Have you seen his guys web site?? Well I have and I truly think this was purely a selective prosecution and have no idea who this dude is. Chit he probably jump seated with me today and I would probably give him a tighter handshake rather than a shrug on my shoulders. His airline career is now in the chitter forever basically as well as his reputation if he had any. This whole story smells like chit. I side with the pilot. First and foremost, I made no direct connection to this guys' legal woes with his company and the fact that he is an airline pilot. I could care less what this guy's primary career is. It's irrelevant, and to be perfectly honest, I truly don't believe this guy is a drug user and I bet he is a fine individual/pilot. To be perfectly honest, I am no Harvard Professor when it comes to privacy law, you called me out there successfully. The thing is I haven't intimately studied the legitimacy of privacy, and other such laws, prevalent in the America. The thing is, I'm not a federal prosecutor, the only thing I can imagine in this case is what the company looks like to a federal prosecutor. Like I said earlier, it appears as a method to ensure/manipulate a positive result of a federally mandated drug test. The benign fact that it is an all-natural, herbal remedy that merely cleanses the body doesn't change the fact that it is designed to prevent adverse test results. Furthermore, if you want to expand on your understanding of privacy laws, then by all means you should run to this guy's side and help him out with his legal fees. If you truly believe his civil rights as an American are being violated, then by all means you should support him. This guy is now spending somewhere upwards of $40,000+ trying to plead his case with nothing to win, but his freedom. My point here is that there are hundreds of thousands of preppy law school graduates working for the federal government just dissecting anything that may appear to be a prosecutable case. It's costs these individuals nothing to destroy a guy like this because that is there lively-hood, whereas a guy like this is merely trying to make an honest living. Prudent judgment would have dictated to stay away from a product like this as to not motivate those gun-ho federal prosecutors to attack. When it comes to testing the legitimacy of our federal laws against the government, the general public defendant will always be the loser. I don't have a dog in this fight and I prefer not to take sides because I don't know all the facts, but I wish this guy the best with regards to a positive outcome for him and his family. |
Some advice and relevant info related to drug testing from SPARC (Separated Parenting Access & Resource Center)
Sit down and make a comprehensive list of all prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and foods that you've taken in the last several months. Many prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and even foods can cause "false positives" on drug tests. All drugs alter body chemistry; after all, that is why they're taken. Unfortunately, changes in body chemistry can fool some drug tests and produce inaccurate results ("false positives"). 1. Poppy seeds, for example, can show up on a drug test as morphine. 2. Cold remedies that contain codeine can also cause a positive result for morphine. 3. Valium reportedly can produce erroneous indications of PCP (Phencyclidine), and other cold remedies can apparently produce false reports of methamphetamine usage. 4. Dextromethorphan can produce a falsely positive qualitative urine opiate screening. 5. The widespread availability of hemp-containing products, including everything from hemp-seed oil nutritional supplements to hemp-seed candy, cookies, cheese, bread, cooking oil, and general seasoning, means that ingesting ANY of these products could potentially cause a false positive result on a test for marijuana. 6. Ibuprofen, contained in Advil, Nuprin, and Mortin, can make a positive result for marijauna. The EMIT test (an immunoassay test) has therefore been changed to use a different enzyme to eliminate false positives due to Ibuprofen. Ibuprofen in very high doses will still interfere with both the EMIT and the GC/MS (Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer) test. Ibuprofen: Ibuprofen is a common pain reliever that (even in low dosages) used to cause a false THC positive on the EMIT test. The EMIT has been changed to use a different enzyme to eliminate false positives due to Ibuprofen. Ibuprofen in very high doses will still interfere with both the EMIT and the GC/MS. There is some conflicting data here because some sources say that the GC/MS tests can distinguish between Ibuprofen and THC (as well as other over-the-counter drugs). 7. Common over the counter cold, asthma, and allergy remedies and diet pills such as Diatec, Dexatrim, Cotylenol, Triaminic, Primatene, Bronkotabs, and Nyquil can show up as positive for amphetamines. 8. Vicks Formula-44, Demerol, Mydol, Primatene-M and common prescription antidepressants such as Elavil and Tofanil can show up as positive for opiates such as opium and heroin. 9. Ephedra, also known as Ephedra Alkaloids or 'MaHuang Extract' has a chemical structure which is closely related to amphetamine, and can reportedly give a false positive for amphetamines. Often sold as an 'energy pill' it is an effective decongestant in low doses. 10. Valerian root is reported to cause false positives for benzodiazepines. Other herbal supplements such as Kava Kava and St Johns Wort may also affect body chemistry such that false positives are produced. 11. Zoloft is reported to cause false positives in urine screens, although for what specific substance isn't clear. 12. Primatene can also show up as positive for barbiturates, and Benadryl can show up positive for Methadone. 13. Some additional over the counter medicines that may cause various kinds of drug test interactions include Alka-Seltzer plus, Allerest, Bronkaid, Contac, Donnagel, Sinuntab, and Sudafed. |
Selling a product designed to avoid a potential false-positive due to the above conditions should not be criminal. Any personal thoughts, feelings or biases to Mr Sharp's motives are really not relevant in a court of law.
An appropriate and marketable name for such a product could certainly play on the word urine since we are talking about a urine screen. |
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