Positive Workplace Drug Screenings Remain High

(Summer 2018) Drug use by American workers continues to peak at its highest level in over 10 years, according to Quest Diagnostics’ latest Drug Testing Index™ (DTI) report. Positive workplace tests nationwide have hovered just over 4% for the past two years, up from a three-decade low of 3.5% in 2012.

The use of several drugs is fueling the upswing. Positive tests for both cocaine and marijuana have been on the rise for the past five years. (Unsurprisingly, perhaps, positive drug screenings for marijuana have increased markedly in states that have approved recreational marijuana laws, such as Nevada, Massachusetts and California.) Meanwhile, methamphetamine use in the workforce rose sharply in the South and Midwest.

On a brighter note, the DTI registered less usage of other drugs in the workforce. Positive tests for prescription opiates are still decreasing; this could be attributed to policies enacted by legislators, medical boards and employers to reduce the dispensation of these drugs. Additionally, heroin use in the workforce fell to a three-year low and decreased almost 11% from 2016 to 2017.

Analysis of over 175 million drug screenings indicates that drug testing plays an important role in the workplace. Such screening deters employees from using drugs while working and discourages potential hires who use drugs from applying to businesses with drug-free workplace policies.

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