If I put my mouth on a bong, but do not light it, can you say I have or have not tried illegal drugs?

Question

I want to be a cop, and do not know how to answer the question of whether or not I have had any use of illegal drugs. I want to pass the polygraph, and this seems to be the one question I'm afraid of. I "attempted" to smoke, but, nothing happened. Plus it was 5 1/2 years ago. Please help me!

Answer 1

hmmm, tricky....i'd go with no. "trying" to me means you inhaled smoke...did you inhale smoke? if no smoke went in your body then just say no and be done with it...

i don't think they give you a poly anyway and even so its "yes no" just say no...if they prompt you or ask again say you thought about it "but it didn't work out"

Answer 2

No, you have not ingested illegal drugs. You should note that lie detector tests rarely ever pick up on a lie but they cause you to remember things like you mentioned and usually people feel the need to confess. You are really just taking a confessional test, not a lie detector. In this case, you should fess up to exactly what you mentioned in your question...that you held a bong but did not inhale the smoke. The police department knows that many potential officers have probably done a lot more than just hold the bong, and if you do well in the other areas of the interview, you should be pulling me over for speeding in the near future...good luck!!

Answer 3

No. This would make you like Bill Clinton; you didn't inhale. Of course, he defines sex differently than I do, so I wouldn't hold him up as an example of anything when it comes to issues of morality or integrity.

Seriously, I don't think you tried them. But it comes down to what you believe. Because a polygraph measures your responses against what you believe to be the truth.

Practically speaking, if you doubt your ability to pass the polygraph relative to your conscience, go ahead and fess up and ask the person with whom you are interviewing the question. The reasons people DON'T get the job in cases like this are twofold - (1) they did something they shouldn't have done AND (2) they subsequently lied about it. Maybe you can't do anything about #1, but you can still control #2.

Answer 4

If you didnt smoke, you didnt smoke, plain and simple. Remember, Bongs (also known as water pipes) are in fact used for other purposes than smoking pot. Tobacco and other herbal combinations are smoked out of bongs/water pipes. Bongs/waterpipes are not illegal. Thier possesion is not illegal. What makes them illegal is once they have been used for the consumption of illegal drugs and a residue is present. THis shifts them from being a simple bong/waterpipe to drug paraphenilia, which by the way is a misdemeanor in 99% of the US.

RElax man. If your so wound up about putting your mouth on a bong 5 1/2 years ago, I am thinking most of the world would prefer if you werent a cop anyway

Answer 5

I would be honest the whole way through the test. The way the polygraph works is there are a series of questions you get asked before the test. They then ask you the questions and see if you were lying. Just tell the truth and you should be fine. I know some officers that have admitted to doing acid and they still got the job.

Answer 6

No way. If you held a gun, but never pulled the trigger, have you ever shot a gun? NO!

You have nothing to worry about in terms of the polygraph if you are confident about this concept. Write as many examples as you can think of on paper ... this will help solidify this in your mind (and nerves which polygraphs rely upon)...

Here are a few to get you started. They are silly, but you get the idea!

1) If I pointed a bow and arrow at a deer, but did not release the arrow, have I ever shot a deer? NO!

2) I dialed my professor's home telephone number to tell him what a horrible teacher he was after I flunked his class. I hung up before anyone answered. Does this mean you chewed out your teacher? NO!

Good luck.

Answer 7

I would have to say that no, you have never done drugs. It's not like you tried them and didn't experience a high; you never actually tried to get high. A friend of mine had an interview with a police department and they asked him (not with a polygraph I don't think) if he ever tried any drugs and he admitted trying pot like twice in college and the ended the interview right then and there. Say no and don't sweat it, you'll be fine :)

Answer 8

Well if you put a cigarette in your mouth, and do
NOT light it ~ does that make you a Smoker?

Forget about this thought and dont make it an issue, or you will flunk your polygraph!! because this particular thought will get imbedded in your brain, and will cause the scanner on the machine to go whacko!! ( like when you try to get an old ink pen to write, and you go back and forth on a piece of paper)... that's what the needle will be doing :-)

Answer 9

Dude, you can't even make it as a burn-out and you expect to make it as a cop??? Ok, I'm just messin' with you. No, if you didn't inhale the marijuana smoke, then you have not tried it. I don't think they would disqualify you for that anyway. They may wonder why you simulated fellatio on a bong, though.

Answer 10

try being honest.....if you are honest then you will pass the test and besides that if for some reason that story comes out, you will not be known as a liar. it is more important for a police officer to be honest in the the profession that he/she chosen, then if they were to have 'attempted' to have used drugs. Look at Clinton, he didn't inhale....and he made it to president.

Answer 11

As an officer myself....your BEST way to respond when asked about any drug involvement...is just how you explained it here!

You ALMOST tried but didn't actually do it!

Also, consider the amount of time since this occurred.

Main thing to remember is the testing process is ALL about honesty and integrity!

Don't worry....apply and best wishes!