In Monday’s story, “The Dog Dealers”, Susan told us that the city prohibited poppy seed buns because the seeds attract pigeons which presumably are a nuisance in downtown Phoenix.
I got several comments stating that poppy seeds can cause other problems. Apparently they can cause a person to test positive for drugs. I had heard that too but never knew if it was true or just an urban legend.
So I went to Snopes.com, the myth busters of the internet to get the straight scoop.
Here’s what I found:
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Claim: The consumption of poppy seeds used on bagels and muffins can produce positive results on drug screening tests.
Status: True.
Origins: Drug testing has become more and more prevalent in our society, and while urine or blood analysis is one of the best ways to do that, the tests themselves are not always infallible and can sometimes produce skewed results. Indeed, something as innocuous as the poppy seeds on a bagel or muffin or in a slice of cake can make the drug-free look like heroin users.
Opiates (morphine and codeine) can be detected in urine for at least 48 hours after one eats food containing poppy seeds. As little as a single bagel covered with poppy seeds could produce a false positive test for these drugs.
In 1990, a veteran St. Louis police officer was suspended for four months because his drug test showed positive for morphine after he’d eaten four poppy seed bagels the day before the urine sample was taken. He was reinstated with back pay after it was determined that poppy seeds and not drug use had produced those results. His case was especially puzzling to the department because the officer in question had a steady work record and demonstrated no indications of any problems before this incident was flagged during a random drug screen. The department performed an experiment by having another officer eat four poppy seed bagels and take a drug test. He, too, tested positive for morphine, confirming the poppy seed effect
theory.
In 1999, a New Jersey prison guard was fired for the same reason: a poppy seed bagel he’d had produced a positive drug test. His case was subjected to further examination, and he was reinstated seven months later.
In 1997, a woman in Florida was awarded $859,000 in her lawsuit against Bankers Insurance Group because it had withdrawn a lucrative job offer to her on the basis of her poppy seed-influenced drug screen results.
In 1994, a Baltimore woman lost her chance for a job with an inner-city community health center because of her failed drug test, which was once again the result of the nefarious poppy seeds. In this case, the woman’s fondness for lean corned beef and provolone on a poppy seed bagel cost her the job she wanted, because this prospective employer would not allow her a second urinalysis nor believe that her morning nosh had caused those suspicious test results.
Because of the possibility of poppy seeds’ skewing drug test results, federal prison rules prohibit inmates from eating this ingestible. Moreover, inmates on furlough are enjoined from eating baked goods that incorporate poppy seeds because of the effect it has on their drug tests. (Without the poppy seed prohibition, anyone using opium derivatives recreationally could attribute his positive drug test results to a fondness for these seeds. The prohibition removes that possibility.)
The Federal Bureau of Prison’s Form BP-S291(52) contains, as one of the conditions a furloughed inmate must agree to:
It has been determined that consumption of poppy seeds may cause a positive drug test which may result in disciplinary action. As a condition of my participation in community programs, I will not consume any poppy seeds or items containing poppy seeds.
As to how seriously the “no poppy seeds” injunction is taken, inmates in halfway houses have been returned to prison because they violated it and consequently failed their urine tests.
Because the drug screen for the presence of opiates is so sensitive, some agencies that rely on it have since raised the cut-off level for a positive to 2000 ng/mL, which eliminates many of the poppy seed false positives.
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A true Chicago style hot dog has a poppy seed bun, preferably Rosen’s or Mary Anns’s brand. Would you consider using a plain bun? Do you think it would it increase sales?
What do you think about this? Leave a comment below…
well you sure learn something new everyday should we post a sign at our business to make our customers aware of the potential problem
The cops here eat there dogs for free..so what they care if it got seeds on the bun or not..thats why there so fat on the chicago force..look at half of them they couldn’t run a block without crippling over..me personally i don’t like the seeds they get stuck in your teeth..then you walk around with these little black things , and you don’t have a pick to get them out..real nice when your smiling at a lady..but that dog sure looks delish, think i’ll go get one or 2 right now…
CHICAGO STYLE DOG’S RULE……
P.S Who’s gonna throw a hot dog to a pidgeon anyways, they eat rocks..
Cecil,
NO. Don’t post a sign unless you want to scare everyone away. From what people are telling me, those who need to be concerned about it already know about the poppy seed effect.
It’s been over a decade since I worked for someone else, so I haven’t been subjected to random drug testing. I guess I’m out of the loop on this one.
I know I’d test positive for chocolate donuts…
-Steve
I am still not sure about this poppy seed drug test thing. I have never had or seen a warning involving poppy seeds. I have been drug tested probably 15 times in the last 10 years and never saw one sign of the evil perils of poppy seeds
I use plain buns on my cart and never had one complaint. I live 50 to 60 miles south of Chicago and get a lot of weekend travelers from there. Those Chicago customers mention the sport peppers and the radioactive green relish that is missing, not the bun. Hot Dogs come in all fashions and forms. I believe it is the hot dog and what you put on it, not the bun, that makes it.
I worked in a military lab for 20 years and actually have seen this happen many times before. It was always discouraged to eat any foods using poppy seeds or poppy seed oil. I have seen cases where top NCO/Officers have had to explain their eating habits in court martials because of this effect on drug screens by poppy seeds. I never took the chance beacause the of the zero tolerance the military had on drug use. And as the guy that did the testing I have seen it pop positive on a drug screen. So my plan is to offer chicago dogs on a regular bun so that I dont have to worry about putting my customers at risk or inconvenience.
wow pardon the mistypes up there…too early for me!
I use a large brat bun for my sausage and Chicago style dogs. Most people in our area would never know or care about the poppy seeds. Bristol TN
Wow! I didn’t know that either, but sure am glad you posted the info. My daughter who eats lots of poppy seeds bagels just accepted a new job offer, as long as she passes the drug test.
Thanks for the heads up!
I worked for a company for nearly 5 years that did random testing for drugs every 6 months.
We had a vending machine in our lunchroom that sold poppy seed muffins. When I tested, they simply asked if I consumed anything with poppy seeds. I said yes, muffins…end of discussion!? And LOL about the donuts Steve!
Kath,
I wasn’t kidding. Just had one 5 minutes ago. I’m hopelessly addicted…
Ha!
-Steve
As a trusted reader pointed out to me, perhaps Snopes needs to be Snoped themselves.
Hmmm I thought, maybe he’s right. So I just did a little more research to see if other sites come to the same conclusion. They all agree on this subject. Here’s what I found.
Eating one poppy seed bagel will typically give you a 300 ng/ml result on urine test for opiates. The U.S. Military uses cut off levels of 3000 ng/ml in order to minimize false positives.
I used plain buns at King Weenie just because poppy seed buns are hard to get here.
As Tim and Pat said in their comments, unless you are from Chicago, you wouldn’t know the difference.
None of my customers did.
-Steve
I served in the Marine Corps from 1994-1998, and I saw several friends of mine (POP) on a random drug test, I can honestly say, that these guys were good Marines and would NEVER smoke Pot, but in the Marines it’s black and white. No room for discussion. If you tested positive you were sentenced, dropped in rank, your pay was reduced and 4-6 months latter you were no longer a Marine. This is real,,,The T.V. show Myth Buster did a episode on this and they found it to be TRUE….
I have been selling Chicago style hot dogs for 13+years. I make them the way they are originally made. I use only Vienna beef. The comments I here about what effects poppy seeds can do are too far and few for it to effect my business in any way.
My eyes are opened. I also served in the military in the 80’s. Not one person ever warned us about poppy seeds. I did not realize that poppy seeds could cause so much trouble. But it seems like you would need to eat a lot of them to test positive.
But then again if you have ever seen how big the cops in Chicago are you would know why they are told to stay away from the Chicago Dogs.
Dear tim – why are you not serving the “traditional” condiments so close to Chi town – Just wondering? Susan and Rena
Hi Renee and Susan
I do serve traditional toppings. Tomato, onion pickle and green pepper. I do not serve the cucumbers. I serve jalapeno peppers in place of sport peppers. I serve nachos from my cart also. I serve the jalapeno to keep my overhead down. I can use the jalapeno on the dog, nachos and walking taco. I use a very high quality and local meat product. I am the Home of the Belly Buster. It is a giant all beef frank that is smoked. And it is awsome. I am trying to get that product on the map. Because it is just that good. I also have experience cooking professionally. I wanted to bring a new product to the market to set us apart from all the other doggers. I serve an all beef traditional hot dog and The Belly Buster. You can get that with any combination of toppings you want that are available. I also serve what we call the Sloppy Dog and the Big Belly. They come with chili, cheese, tomato, onion, green pepper, jalapeno pepper and a pickle. They are very tastey…if I do say so myself. Nice to hear from you. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I can turn this no poppy into a positive. Here’s why,, I am not offering a poppyseed bun because of the pigeon issue in my downtown location. What I’ll say to my customer when they say “Hey, No Poppyseed Bun?” I laugh and tell “Hey,, you tryin’ to fail a drug test?” Then we both will just laugh it off!!!
Thats my plan!!
wheeeuuu!! Eat what you like. But that would be the craps if you lost your job over it.
Don’t eat poppyseeds on a date…I’m just sayin
Trying to get in touch with dabber dave.
I feel the real problem is the low testing limit. One should know the half life of poppy seeds in the body and adjust the limit acordingly.
I guess I’ve never really been a believer that poppyseeds can cause you to fail a drugtest..and today i had a urine drugtest for a new job..i was so embarrassed and in tears when the lady came back and telling me there is a very faint line for opiates/morphine..and asked me if I’ve been prescribed anything and so on..i take one aleve for any major pain i may have..and seriously didn’t even know what to think and was confused..i don’t do drugs and i don’t take narcotic pain meds and never have i failed a drug test..so she went on to ask me different things that i may have eaten and low and behold last night me and my son stopped at Sonic and i had 2 Chicago style dogs..i love them but will be afraid to ever eat another one again..?? this was one crazy day for me..to have failed a drugscreen over poppy seeds..I’m a believer now..
Sorry you had to go through that embarrassment Charity, but I’m sure your employer understood. Don’t give up the Chicago dogs, ha!