DRUG TEST
Finite Math
Professor Joy Beverly
Tommy Warren
10/02/17
FALSE POSITIVE DRUG TEST
Yikes, I tested positive for an illicit and illegal drug and I don’t use drugs. Can this really happen? Yes, it can happen and it has to too many innocent people. You should have received a negative result when tested for drugs, but you didn’t instead you received a positive result. This is referred to as a ‘false positive’. Understanding ‘false positive” is a very important issue and valid concern because many people are denied employment, fired from their job, unjustly arrested, falsely prosecuted and even imprisoned based mostly if not entirely on the inaccurate positive test. First, let’s …show more content…
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 77% of the inmate population involve drugs and there is a 93% conviction rate. So, how accurate is drug testing and what may cause a ‘false positive”? Drug testing is problematic. Unfortunately, presumptive testing, human error by handling or collection of specimen, poor or inadequate lab care, environmental factors and other indicators all have the potential of affecting drug results, thus reflecting a false positive reading. Therefore, it is reasonable to suspect that a positive result may be inaccurate. In the wake of “false positive” test result, a more confirmative testing should be used to further provide validity to any positive result. The accuracy of each test can be challenge and should be, specifically presumptive testing which most often produces ‘false positive at a high rate. Specimens of oral (saliva), urinalysis, hair, finger or toe nails and even sweat have been used and all have produced false positive …show more content…
The research found that of 43 substances tested 70 percent actual gave a false positive. From a finite math perspective; given a total of twenty-five (25) individuals with a sampling of five (5) there are fifty-three thousand one hundred and thirty (53,130) possible changes of false positive results. In conclusion, the subject of false positive can’t be ignored and it is important to bring awareness as an effort to address the invalid test results that impact those affected by the flawed or unreliable analysis.
Cite the below
Implications of these false-positives include the possibility of unnecessary
Comments on "Ethnic Hair Care Products May Increase False Positives in Hair Drug Testing" by Kidwell et al. [Forensic Sci Int. 2016]
US Bureau of Justice, Bureau of Statistics, Special Report, Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails, May 2000. Revised 9/29/00. By Doris Wilson James, BJS Statistician
ReverbPress, 01/07/2016 “Unreliable Drug Test Still send Many Americans to