Prescription of antidepressants, hair removal, IV therapy... Tricks to evade drug tests spreading

Increase in Drug Cases Involving Not Only Celebrities but Also Ordinary People
Police Warn "May Negatively Affect Detention and Sentencing Decisions"

Various tricks to evade drug raids are spreading online. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lee Gyehwa] Recently, as drug-related crimes have increased not only among celebrities but also the general public, methods claiming to avoid detection in drug tests have been spreading online.

On the 30th of last month, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul announced that actor Lee Sangbo (41) was not prosecuted as no evidence of drug use was found. According to the police, the National Forensic Service's detailed analysis detected no morphine components in Lee's urine and hair samples. Earlier, on the 10th of last month, Lee was arrested by police in a residential area of Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act. At that time, he tested positive in a preliminary reagent drug test but explained that he was taking antidepressants and tranquilizers.

Because of this, advice has been shared online suggesting that to avoid detection in drug tests, one should obtain a prescription for antidepressants. The reasoning is that if caught using narcotics classified as psychotropic drugs with chemical components and structures similar to antidepressants, the prescription can be used as a reason for the detected substances.

Drug components can be detected even in small amounts because traces remain in body hair, urine, hair, and blood. According to the National Forensic Service, precise detection of each component is possible through detailed testing. If multiple antidepressants are prescribed, each component is detected as is. When each component enters the body, metabolites are produced, allowing analysis by comparing with the prescribed drugs. In Lee's case, the psychotropic drug components detected in his body exactly matched the prescription records from the hospital, leading the police to decide not to prosecute.

Past remarks by composer and singer Don Spike (45, Kim Minsu), who was recently arrested for drug use, about regularly removing body hair have also drawn attention. Information has been spreading that full-body hair removal can help avoid detection in drug tests. In an entertainment program aired in April 2018, he stated, "It's not natural hair loss," and revealed, "For 20 years, I have shaved my head every other day."

Investigative agencies mainly conduct urine and hair tests to determine drug use. Urine tests usually detect traces for about 3 to 7 days. If a week has passed since drug use, hair tests are conducted. Hair removal is done to avoid such hair tests. According to the National Forensic Service, detection is possible not only from short body hairs such as eyebrows and pubic hair but also from fingernails and toenails. It is explained that pulling out newly grown hair close to the root increases the likelihood of detecting recently used substances.

Recently, methods for "body cleansing" have also been shared to shorten the urine test detection period, which usually lasts about a week. The idea is that receiving intravenous fluids at a hospital lowers the concentration of drugs in the body, and sweating them out through a sauna can help avoid detection of drug components.

Both hair and urine tests are conducted to determine drug use. According to the police, even if intravenous fluid administration helps speed up urine excretion, drug use can still be sufficiently revealed through hair tests. Hwang Jeongin, head of the Drug Crime Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, emphasized, "Attempting to evade the truth and confuse investigations increases the risk of reoffending and inevitably becomes grounds for requesting an arrest warrant," adding, "It is a foolish act as it inevitably affects sentencing factors in court."