Report: 5% increase in employment drug test positives

March 8, 2013

pre-employment drug screening tested positive for illicit drugs at a greater rate in the first six months of 2012 than in all of 2011, according to Drug Testing Index(TM) (DTI) data released via a press release earlier this week by Quest Diagnostics. The positivity rate from pre-employment urine drug screening in the U.S. general workforce increased by 5.7% in the first half of 2012 compared to 2011, while the positivity rate from random urine drug testing in the U.S. general workforce was down 5.8%. The positivity rate in pre-employment urine drug screening for the federally mandated, safety-sensitive workforce remained unchanged from 2011 through the first half of 2012, but the positivity rate from random testing among these workers was down 6.7% in the first six months of 2012 compared to 2011. “The uptick in U.S. general workforce pre-employment data suggests that employers should be mindful of illicit drug use among prospective employees,” said Dr. Barry Sample, Director of Science and Technology for Quest Diagnostics Employer Solutions. “These findings align with recent news reports citing some employers facing increasing drug positives when recruiting new workers.” You can read the full press release here.

What does this mean for employers?

It means that, with workforce drug use on the rise, employers need to be ever more focused on drug testing in the workplace. Ensure that if drug use continues to rise, it won’t be happening on your watch and in your domain. Get in touch with a professional drug testing company to ensure that your employees are adhering to law and company policy. Don’t wait any longer – it will end up costing you and your business money and efficiency.]]>

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