Urine trouble: Fake pee could be putting your safety at risk

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) - We've all seen some funky things on gas station shelves but for most, "novelty urine" would be a first.

ABC 33/40's Andrew Donley picked some up at a local gas station to put the pee to a clinical-grade test at Birmingham's DNA and Drug Testing Center.

People who come in for required, often job-related, drug testing aren't beneath cheating, the center's employees say.

"It happens more than people think," said drug screening technician Terri Northcutt.

She always keeps her eye out for the sample cup con.

"[It's] one out of every seven, eight, possibly," said Northcutt.

And those are just the people she catches. Northcutt has observed various cheating methods but she never thought she'd see gas stations selling fake urine.

"It surprises me, it really does," said Northcutt.

The pee product is simple to use. You just slap on some hand-warmers to keep it between 90 and 100 degrees, because anything outside of that temperature range is a dead giveaway to testers that it's not real. Then, it's good to go.

Urine fraudsters beware, you won't get this past the Birmingham DNA and Drug Testing Center crew.

Northcutt says she monitors testers by standing at the stall during the testing process. But she admits other centers may not be as thorough.

Here's why this is a problem: some of the people being tested could have others' lives in their hands.

"This could be nieces, nephews, grandchildren, sisters, brothers. A lot of the schools are even testing the coaches. Anyone that looks after your children, your mother, whoever requires testing ... I want to make sure that if I do do a test on them, it is an accurate test and you're not going to say, 'Hey, let me slide.' No, you're not going to slide," said Northcutt.