Can You Drink the Night Before a Pre-Employment Drug Test?

Many people trying to get a new job will first have to pass a series of initial checks on their suitability as a candidate, which can include taking a drug test. If you’re in that situation, you might wonder about drinking the night before a pre-employment drug test and if that could affect your results or get you eliminated from consideration. The short answer is that it depends on the type of test you’re taking and what your employer is screening for. Before you get the job or wonder if you can get fired for going to rehab, let’s explore how drug tests might screen for alcohol and why this matters.

Table of Contents

What Types of Drug Tests Might Include Alcohol Screening?
How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System?
Could Drinking Before a Test Raise Red Flags for Employers?
What our customers are saying
How Should You Prepare for a Pre-Employment Drug Test?
Key Takeaways on Drinking the Night Before a Pre-Employment Drug Test
Resources

What Types of Drug Tests Might Include Alcohol Screening?

There are three main types of drug tests that you might be asked to take:

• Urine tests are the most common type of drug tests because they’re more affordable and can be highly effective at picking up on recent use of substances ranging from things like alcohol or nicotine to opioids, marijuana, and other drugs.
• Blood tests are much more expensive than urine tests, but they offer a much more precise measurement of the levels of substances in your bloodstream.
• Hair follicle tests can determine if a substance has been used for as long as 90 days. Because these tests are highly sensitive, they can be used to establish a person’s pattern of drug use over several months.

All three of these types of tests can detect alcohol, though only for 12 hours for urine tests and two days for blood tests. Hair follicle testing can determine if someone has been drinking up to 90 days before.

How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System?

If you’re wondering about drinking the night before a pre-employment drug test, it’s important first to understand just how long alcohol can remain in your system after drinking. Many different factors can affect how long alcohol will stay in your system, including:

• How much you drank: It will take longer for your body to metabolize the alcohol if you drank more.
• Body weight: Someone who weighs more will metabolize alcohol more slowly than someone who is smaller.
• Metabolism: If you have a slower metabolism, alcohol will remain in your system longer.
• Sex: Women process alcohol more slowly than men.
• Other substances in your system: Medications that you take might affect the speed at which your body metabolizes alcohol.
• Age: Older people will generally metabolize alcohol slower than younger people.
• What you drank: The type of alcohol you drank, such as wine, liquor, or beer, can be metabolized at different rates.
• Liver health: Someone with impaired liver function will take longer to process alcohol.
• Hydration levels: How hydrated you are can affect how long your body processes alcohol.
• When you last ate: If you recently ate, it can affect the overall metabolism of alcohol.

While these factors will make a difference, alcohol can generally be detected in blood for up to 12 hours, while it can be detected in a urine test for as long as 12 to 48 hours. Breath tests can detect alcohol for up to one day, while saliva tests can detect it for up to two days. Hair tests, which are usually the most expensive kind of drug testing, can detect alcohol for up to 90 days.

Could Drinking Before a Test Raise Red Flags for Employers?

If you’re still thinking about drinking before a pre-employment drug test, consider the many adverse effects that this can have on your employment prospects. One thing to keep in mind is that drinking shortly before a drug test can affect how accurate the test is, setting you up to possibly test positive for using other substances.

A much more likely problem is the damage that drinking the night before a pre-employment drug test can have on your professional reputation. If someone shows up for their test and is visibly inebriated, severely hungover, or still smelling like alcohol, employers will likely view the candidate in a less favorable light and wonder about their overall judgment and reliability. Additionally, it can signal to employers that you could have a drinking problem, and that could eliminate you from consideration entirely.

That’s why it’s best not to drink any alcohol for at least one to two days before a pre-employment drug test. This will ensure that your body will be at its best and ready to offer accurate results in your use of other substances, as well as prevent any chance of you being flagged in the test for having alcohol in your system from recent drinking. Of course, this can seem difficult or even impossible to take that kind of break for someone who is struggling with alcoholism, and might be a better fit for first overcoming addiction with DUI rehab before looking for a new job.

What our customers are saying

How Should You Prepare for a Pre-Employment Drug Test?

Before taking your drug test, you’ll want to ensure you’re prepared and ready for this vital step of the employment process. First, be prepared by having all necessary documents, such as a driver’s license or government-issued ID, and a copy of your confirmation for the drug testing appointment (if applicable). You’ll also want to wear layers that are easy to remove as necessary – you’ll need to take off your jacket, coat, or hat, for example, and leave a purse or briefcase behind.

Another important way to prepare is to be rested and physically prepared for the test. Ensure you’re fully hydrated (but don’t overdo it by drinking more water than you need). Get a good night’s sleep, and get to the appointment early so you’re not stressed or in a hurry.

Key Takeaways on Drinking the Night Before a Pre-Employment Drug Test

• Many job candidates will be asked to take a drug test before getting a job offer.
• The three main kinds of drug tests detect substances in urine, blood, or hair follicles.
• Drinking the night before a pre-employment drug test can cause you to test positive for the presence of alcohol.
• Recent drinking can also occasionally lead to false positives for other substances.
• The best advice is to avoid alcohol for 24 to 48 hours before a drug test.

If you’re up for a new job, you might be asked to take a drug test before getting the position, and these drug tests can detect recent drinking. That’s why you need to avoid alcohol for at least a couple of days before these tests. However, this can be a difficult thing to do if you’re struggling with alcohol addiction. Before you find yourself in this situation, it’s essential to get professional help for drinking problems so you won’t lose out on a good job down the road. Call the team at Muse Treatment today at 800-426-1818 to learn how we can help you overcome alcohol addiction and improve your career prospects. We can help you figure out your best treatment options and determine insurance coverage for alcohol rehab so you can focus on getting better.

Resources

• Test Smartly Labs – Drinking the Night Before a Pre-Employment Drug & Alcohol Test
• Cleveland Clinic – How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System?
• Quest Diagnostics – What to Expect at a Drug Test