TETERBORO, N.J., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheating on workplace drug tests
by using chemical additives called masking agents or oxidizing adulterants
declined sharply during the first half of 2000 compared to 1999, according to
the semi-annual Drug Testing Index released today by Quest Diagnostics
Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the leading provider of drug testing services in the
United States.
The Drug Testing Index summarizes the results of workplace drug tests
performed between January and June, 2000 by Quest Diagnostics. The Drug
Testing Index looks at positivity rates among three major testing populations:
federally mandated, safety-sensitive workers; the general workforce; and the
combined U.S. workforce.
The proportion of individuals who used masking agents to thwart the drug
testing process declined by 48% during the first half of 2000 compared to the
prior year period, according to the Drug Testing Index. Masking agents are
chemicals that are added to drug testing specimens in an attempt to defeat the
process of detecting drug use. These agents include oxidizing adulterants,
which include nitrites, as well as bleach and pyridinium chlorochromate.
Quest Diagnostics initiated adulterant testing in April, 1998 as a complement
to workplace drug testing, and expanded its adulterant testing to include
additional oxidizing adulterants as well as "substituted" specimens in
early 1999.
During the first half of 2000, 0.12% of the individuals evaluated tested
positive for the presence of oxidizing adulterants, compared to 0.23% in 1999.
In addition, 0.03% of the total specimens were identified as having been
"substituted" for valid test specimens, compared to 0.04% in 1999. Test
results are reported as "substituted" when samples do not contain certain
chemical components characteristic of normal human urine.
"The significant decline in the incidence of cheating on drug tests
appears to be closely linked to the heightened surveillance by our clients
using specimen validity testing to detect tampering," said R.H. Barry Sample,
Ph.D., Director of Science and Technology for Quest Diagnostics' Corporate
Health and Wellness division. "As more and more employers have begun to test
for the presence of adulterants and substituted specimens, cheaters no longer
can rely on techniques they may have successfully used in the past."
Overall, workplace drug use, as measured by the rate of positive samples
among all samples, remained unchanged from 1999 at 4.7% of the approximately
3 million workplace drug tests performed during the period. Rates of use for
several drugs, including cocaine and opiates, showed declines in incidence.
Cocaine use was indicated in 0.71% of all drug tests performed in the first
half of 2000, down from 0.80% in 1999 and 0.91% in 1998. However, marijuana
use increased to its highest level since 1997 at 3.33%, up from 3.17% in both
1998 and 1999.
Color graphics of the Drug Testing Index, including regional maps which
show positivity rates by type of drug, are available on-line at
http://www.questdiagnostics.com/corporatehealth/news/dti.htm to provide more
localized workplace drug test data. The Drug Testing Index is released every
six months as a service for government, media and industry, and is considered
a benchmark for national trends.
Quest Diagnostics is the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing,
information and services with annualized revenues of more than $3 billion. The
testing performed on human specimens helps doctors diagnose, treat and monitor
disease; enables employers to detect workplace drug abuse; and supports
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in clinical trials of new
therapeutics worldwide. Quest Informatics analyzes laboratory and other
medical data to help health care providers improve the care of patients.
Additional company information can be found on the Internet at:
http://www.questdiagnostics.com.
Annual Positivity Rates
Year Drug Positive Rate
1988 13.6%
1989 12.7%
1990 11.0%
1991 8.8%
1992 8.8%
1993 8.4%
1994 7.5%
1995 6.7%
1996 5.8%
1997 5.0%
1998 4.8%
1999 4.6%
January-June 2000 4.7%
Positivity Rates By Testing Category
Testing Category January-June 1999 1998 1997 1996
2000
Federally Mandated,
Safety-Sensitive Workforce 3.1% 3.2% 3.4% 3.5% 3.6%
General Workforce 4.9% 4.8% 5.0% 5.2% 6.4%
Combined U.S. Workforce 4.7% 4.6% 4.8% 5.0% 5.8%
Positivity Rates By Testing Reason
(For Federally Mandated, Safety Sensitive Workforce)
(More than 400,000 tests from January to June 2000)
Testing Reason January-June 1999 1998 1997
2000
For Cause 15.7% 14.0% 15.3% 14.4%
Periodic 1.2% 1.1% 1.4% 1.9%
Post-Accident 3.9% 3.7% 4.3% 4.3%
Pre-Employment 3.6% 3.7% 3.8% 3.8%
Random 2.5% 2.6% 2.7% 2.9%
Returned to Duty 3.9% 4.4% 4.8% 5.9%
Postivity Rates By Testing Reason
(For General Workforce)
(Approximately 3 million tests from January to June 2000)
Testing Reason January-June 1999 1998 1997
2000
For Cause 26.9% 24.7% 25.3% 26.7%
Periodic 4.5% 4.5% 4.9% 5.2%
Post-Accident 5.6% 5.6% 6.4% 6.8%
Pre-Employment 4.5% 4.5% 4.6% 4.7%
Random 7.4% 6.9% 7.3% 8.3%
Returned to Duty 5.3% 5.5% 7.2% 6.1%
Positivity Rates By Drug Category
(For Federally Mandated, Safety-Sensitive Workforce,
as a percentage of all such tests)
(More than 400,000 tests from January to June 2000)
Drug Category January-June 1999 1998 1997
2000
Amphetamines 0.25% 0.26% 0.25% 0.30%
Cocaine 0.62% 0.71% 0.78% 0.73%
Marijuana 1.98% 1.86% 1.87% 2.0%
Opiates 0.23% 0.27% 0.49% 0.53%
PCP 0.05% 0.05% 0.05% 0.04%
Oxidizing Adulterants
(incl. Nitrites) 0.13% 0.21% NA NA
Substitution 0.03% 0.03% NA NA
Positivity Rates By Drug Category
(For General U.S. Workforce, as a percentage of all such tests)
(Approximately 3 million tests from January to June 2000)
Drug Category January-June 1999 1998 1997
2000
Amphetamines 0.25% 0.22% 0.20% 0.26%
Barbiturates 0.39% 0.44% 0.38% 0.35%
Benzodiazepines 0.51% 0.50% 0.55% 0.59%
Cocaine 0.71% 0.80% 0.91% 0.90%
Marijuana 3.33% 3.17% 3.17% 3.4%
Methadone 0.09% 0.08% 0.06% 0.07%
Opiates 0.26% 0.26% 0.50% 0.50%
PCP 0.02% 0.02% 0.01% 0.01%
Propoxyphene 0.31% 0.33% 0.29% 0.27%
Oxidizing Adulterants
(incl. Nitrites) 0.12% 0.23% NA NA
Substitution 0.03% 0.04% NA NA
Positive Results By Drug Category
(For Federally Mandated, Safety-Sensitive Workers,
as a percentage of all positives)
(More than 400,000 tests from January to June 2000)
Drug Category January-June 1999 1998 1997
2000
Acid/Base 0.19% 0.46% -- --
Amphetamines 7.8% 7.7% 7.1% 8.1%
Cocaine 18.8% 21.2% 22.3% 20%
Marijuana 61.9% 56.9% 54.7% 56%
Oxidizing Adulterants
(incl. Nitrites) 1.9% 3.1% 0.32% NA
Opiates 7.1% 8.0% 14% 15%
PCP 1.5% 1.6% 1.6% 1.2%
Substituted 0.83% 0.96% NA NA
Positive Results By Drug Category
(For Combined U.S. Workforce, as a Percentage of All Positives)
(Approximately 3.4 million tests from January to June 2000)
Drug Category January-June 1999 1998 1997
2000
Acid/Base 0.08% 0.16% -- --
Amphetamines 5.1% 4.5% 4.0% 4.9%
Barbiturates 3.2% 3.4% 3.0% 3.0%
Benzodiazepines 3.3% 3.1% 3.4% 3.9%
Cocaine 14.1% 16.2% 17.6% 16%
Marijuana 64.5% 62.2% 59.2% 60%
Methadone 0.53% 0.42% 0.36% 0.41%
Methaqualone 0.00% 0.00% 0.0007% 0.0002%
Oxidizing Adulterants
(incl. Nitrites) 1.1% 1.7% 0.63% NA
Opiates 5.2% 5.3% 9.7% 9.4%
PCP 0.49% 0.44% 0.37% 0.34%
Propoxyphene 1.8% 1.8% 1.7% 1.6%
Substituted 0.63% 0.81% NA NA
SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
CONTACT: Media - Gary Samuels, 201-393-5700, or Investors - Cathy
Doherty, 201-393-5030, both of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated/