Quest Diagnostics, one of our trusted laboratory and clinic partners recently released some new information they found in their yearly Drug Testing Index analysis.
We published an article earlier this year all about the 2018 Drug Testing Index results that released findings showing workplace drug positivity rates are now at the highest rates we’ve seen in over a decade.
More than 14 million urine drug tests are analyzed in Quest’s Drug Testing Index to help provide industry specific insights on drug use. This latest analysis showed that within the U.S. workforce urine drug tests have seen year-over-year double-digit increases in workplace drug positivity within 6 out of 17 industry sectors.
Among these industries, the Retail Trade Industry has seen the highest overall positivity rate across the past four years.
Other industries that have seen year-over-year double-digit increases in drug positivity include:
-Transportation & Warehousing
-Other Service Industries
-Wholesale Trade
-Construction
-Administrative Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services
Barry Sample, PhD, senior director of science and technology at Quest Diagnostics spoke out about the findings, “Our [examination] of drug positivity data suggest drug use by the nation’s workforce is growing across a broad swath of industries. Of particular concern are sharp jumps in positivity rates seen in sectors like transportation and warehousing and construction that directly affect public safety. Staying vigilant and providing support for employees who test positive for drug use are key for employers seeking to maintain a safe, healthy workforce.”
If you have questions about how you can improve your drug testing program to help keep your workplace safe and accident free, give our drug testing department a call at 888-919-8378 or shoot us an email at [email protected].