Another case of a false positive drug test has shaken public opinion. Ahmed Ismail Ahmed from Isperih was left without a job and a driver's license for five months, although all subsequent analyzes showed that he had not used drugs.
In April this year, the man was stopped for a routine check by the police. His alcohol test was negative, but the drug test showed a positive result for benzodiazepines. "I decided that they were joking with me when they told me the results. I was shocked," the victim told the program "Hello, Bulgaria" on NOVA.
The man immediately gave a blood sample and underwent additional tests at the Military Hospital - Varna. All tests confirmed that he was clean, but this did not help him quickly return his documents. He was left without a driver's license for nearly five months, which meant losing his job in Germany.
"I am a cancer patient. I decided that there might be something to it from the previous medications. My health deteriorated after the incident," Ahmed Ismail Ahmed explained the reasons that initially made him think about the false positive result.
The victim is adamant that the police are simply doing their job, but the problem lies in the reliability of the tests used. "The police who stopped me are doing their job, the importers of these tests are to blame. Once again, someone is suffering. First of all, I will seek compensation from them," he said.
The case of the man from Isperih is included in the growing number of reports of false positive drug tests in Bulgaria. According to research by the National Focus Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction, the discrepancy between the first field test and the final blood test reaches 5-10% worldwide.
Experts explain that among the reasons for obtaining a false positive result is the high sensitivity of police tests, especially the DrugTest 5000 used. This test can react to a number of drugs, including antibiotics, antidepressants, and even products containing poppy seeds.