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shredgnar
Joined: 21 Jan 2009
Location: Guro, Seoul
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 Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:03 pm Post subject: Drug testing (what happens if you fail??) |
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As I understand all teachers must pass a physical upon arrival to Korea. I have heard that this includes a urinalysis to screen for marijuana? What happens if your school flys you over to Korea and you fail the drug test portion of the physical? Does anyone have any experience with this?
Thanks a ton! |
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the oak llama
Joined: 05 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:43 pm Post subject: drugs |
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On the immigration website it says that the marijuana portion of the drug screen can be omitted. So you need to get your physical/drug test whatever and make sure that the cannabinoids screen is not included. I don't know how easy that is to do. You might need to speak Korean. It's possible that the hospitals know not to include it.
As for other drugs of abuse that are required, I'm pretty sure you won't have a job anymore if you test positive for anything they're looking for. It's very likely that your visa will be revoked and I don't know if you get in any trouble beyond that (you do have to turn in a statement saying that you don't do drugs prior to going to korea -- i don't know if they consider that some kind of fraud).
I do not have any experience with this. just an educated guess. |
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Caerus
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Just an added question. What else do they do in the physical/testing? Other than the blood and urine test? |
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the ireland
Joined: 11 May 2008
Location: korea
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Caerus wrote: |
| Just an added question. What else do they do in the physical/testing? Other than the blood and urine test? |
just a fast paced 26.2 mile run....no sweat!! |
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Chet Wautlands
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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It seems to depend on which hospital you go to. Only certain places are accepted.
I had my teeth checked, a chest x-ray, vision test, and then a few tests that were actually useful. |
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warren pease
Joined: 12 May 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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A friend of mine just went to get her tests done, and the doctor there (who she said spoke perfect English) told her that the drug screen checked for all drugs. She was told that if she had ibuprofen in her system it would probably come back as a fail and that the hospital doesn't attempt (or isn't able) to distinguish one drug from another.
As far as the Pot test: Since it's not required, wouldn't a positive result simply be moot? I mean, sure the school could be upset, but is it really grounds for termination? It's not like it's against Korean law to smoke pot in another country.
It just seems highly unlikely to me, as hard as it is for schools to find someone from across the world and fly them over here, that they'd immediately fire them for a test that legally shouldn't have been given in the first place and holds no legal consequence.
And, unless your contract listed failure of an unwarranted medical test as an accepted cause for dismissal, it seems that you'd have a good case for breach of contract. (not that I claim to have ANY knowledge of Korea law)
Does anyone know of anyone actually being fired over this? |
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TripleBz
Joined: 22 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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| I actually heard of people getting thrown in jail for just testing positive. |
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plynx
Joined: 03 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:23 pm Post subject: Re: drugs |
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| the oak llama wrote: |
I do not have any experience with this. just an educated guess. |
no offense, but in korea, "educated guesses" don't count. there is no rationality here. from my experience, if you test positive for whatever they screen for - marijuana, steroids, heroin, etc. - you are allowed to retake the test within a certain amount of days (particularly if you test "false positive" or have a mixed reading). if you repeatedly fail, you're screwed. BUT, there should be no reason why someone (even a recreational drug user) should fail. you have plenty of time to take the test - within 90 days of your arrival. if you can't get the drugs out by then, you shouldn't be here in the first place. |
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jennzy
Joined: 12 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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hm...
i didnt know they did drug test
how long does marijuana stay in your body system? cuz itd be good to know
i should maybe stop smoking pot a month before i leave or something |
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ChinaBoy
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| jennzy wrote: |
hm...
i didnt know they did drug test
how long does marijuana stay in your body system? cuz itd be good to know
i should maybe stop smoking pot a month before i leave or something |
Yeah, maybe, pothead.
Although you fit the Korean stereotype for a native English speaker already. |
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Hunnie705
Joined: 06 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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Jennzy,
If you smoke everyday, you need to give yourself up to 6 weeks to clear THC and its metabolites from the body. If you smoke every once in awhile there is no build up and 5-7 days should clear it from the system
Cannabis stays in the blood longer than any other drug because it stores in your fat cells. |
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jennzy
Joined: 12 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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| ChinaBoy wrote: |
| jennzy wrote: |
hm...
i didnt know they did drug test
how long does marijuana stay in your body system? cuz itd be good to know
i should maybe stop smoking pot a month before i leave or something |
Yeah, maybe, pothead.
Although you fit the Korean stereotype for a native English speaker already. |
i'm not a pothead thanks
and no, i don't fit into the korean stereotype because i'm korean |
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jennzy
Joined: 12 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Hunnie705 wrote: |
Jennzy,
If you smoke everyday, you need to give yourself up to 6 weeks to clear THC and its metabolites from the body. If you smoke every once in awhile there is no build up and 5-7 days should clear it from the system
Cannabis stays in the blood longer than any other drug because it stores in your fat cells. |
hey thanks for the informative reply...
nah, last time i smoked every day was back in first year uni
i now smoke once in awhile now... on avg mb 1ce a week? |
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ThingsComeAround
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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| warren pease wrote: |
As far as the Pot test: Since it's not required, wouldn't a positive result simply be moot? I mean, sure the school could be upset, but is it really grounds for termination? It's not like it's against Korean law to smoke pot in another country.
It just seems highly unlikely to me, as hard as it is for schools to find someone from across the world and fly them over here, that they'd immediately fire them for a test that legally shouldn't have been given in the first place and holds no legal consequence.
And, unless your contract listed failure of an unwarranted medical test as an accepted cause for dismissal, it seems that you'd have a good case for breach of contract. (not that I claim to have ANY knowledge of Korea law)
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I'd have to disagree with you there, warren.
I have been told by my hagwon managment and other threads right here on Daves, that if we travel outside of the country and back like, say during a vacation in a tropical pot smoking paradise, we would possibly be subjected to another drug screening. Only this time it would be for THC.
Thing is, if a foreigner (including overseas Koreans) is taken up on charges for drugs, they are already guilty. There is no way they can prove that they didn't take the suspected substance outside of the country. In addition to that, the mere mention that drugs were inside the body gives mainland Koreans hysteria. Go Figure  |
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Rusty Shackleford
Joined: 08 May 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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| ThingsComeAround wrote: |
| warren pease wrote: |
As far as the Pot test: Since it's not required, wouldn't a positive result simply be moot? I mean, sure the school could be upset, but is it really grounds for termination? It's not like it's against Korean law to smoke pot in another country.
It just seems highly unlikely to me, as hard as it is for schools to find someone from across the world and fly them over here, that they'd immediately fire them for a test that legally shouldn't have been given in the first place and holds no legal consequence.
And, unless your contract listed failure of an unwarranted medical test as an accepted cause for dismissal, it seems that you'd have a good case for breach of contract. (not that I claim to have ANY knowledge of Korea law)
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I'd have to disagree with you there, warren.
I have been told by my hagwon managment and other threads right here on Daves, that if we travel outside of the country and back like, say during a vacation in a tropical pot smoking paradise, we would possibly be subjected to another drug screening. Only this time it would be for THC.
Thing is, if a foreigner (including overseas Koreans) is taken up on charges for drugs, they are already guilty. There is no way they can prove that they didn't take the suspected substance outside of the country. In addition to that, the mere mention that drugs were inside the body gives mainland Koreans hysteria. Go Figure |
Thing is about this is, who does everything their boss says? Are they gunna cuff you and take you down to the Hospital to get a test?
As to the question. If you fail, you should be able to retake the test. As long as you haven't taken any drugs in Korea, you should be able to stall long enough for them to leave your system. I've seen people detox THC out of their system in a few days. Once on a TV show, once a friend of mine who was a moderate to heavy user detoxed in 8 days. Most other recreational drugs leave your system very quickly. |
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