14 million Americans are currently using illegal drugs

24 million admit to illicit drug use at least once in the past year

74 million say they have used illicit drugs at some time in their lives

76% of current illicit drug users 18 and older are employed;  that's more than 10 million U.S. workers

Everyday, more than 42,000 Americans come to work stoned or are getting high while on the job

Substance abusers utilize  300 percent more medical benefits than do non-using co-workers

Source: 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health - SAMHSA

  Test Types

  Pre-Employment / Post-Offer
  Testing may occur before a formal offer is extended, or after, with the offer contingent

  on successful completion of a drug test.  Testing of all applicants, even if not in safety

  sensitive positions, avoids the appearance of discrimination.  Such testing has been   

  almost universally upheld in the courts.

  Post-Accident
  It is critical for company policies to define accidents or violations which would cause an

  employee to be subject to a drug and/or alcohol test after an accident.  Each

  Department of Transportation (DOT) agency defines accidents, incidents and/or safety

  violations that trigger a DOT post-accident drug and/or alcohol test.  If mandated, you

  should include the DOT definition of an accident in your policy.

  Reasonable Suspicion
  Reasonable suspicion testing refers to testing an individual based on physical,

  behavioral or performance indicators of drug and/or alcohol use.  Supervisors should be 

  educated by qualified trainers to identify behavior and objective job performance

  indicators that might be drug-related.  Companies should document job performance

  regularly and should have records to support each reasonable suspicion drug or alcohol

  test.

  Random
  Well-designed random testing programs identify employees who are using drugs or

  alcohol but are able to use the predictability of other testing methods to escape

  detection.  More importantly random testing serves as a strong deterrent against

  current employees beginning or continuing prohibited drug use.

  Return-to-Duty
  DOT guidelines establish that before any employee is allowed to return to duty to

  perform a safety-sensitive function following a verified positive drug test result, an

  alcohol result 0.04 or greater, a refusal to submit to a test or any other activity that 

  violates the regulations, that employee must first be evaluated by a Substance Abuse

  Professional (SAP) and have a negative drug test result and/or alcohol test on a return-

  to-duty test.

  Follow-Up
  Once allowed to return to duty, an employee shall be subject to unannounced follow-up

  testing for at least 12 but not more than 60 months according to DOT guidelines.  The

  frequency and duration of the follow-up testing will be recommended by the Substance

  Abuse Professional as long as a minimum of six tests are performed during the first 12

  months after the employee has returned to duty.  Follow-up testing pertains to drug

  and/or alcohol testing.

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  Alternative Testing Methods

  Urine - Certified Laboratory Testing
  At EDPM, urine drug screen testing accuracy is an important issue.  All specimens are

  subject to state-of-the-art immunoassay testing in which antibodies specific to illicit

  drugs are mixed with urine samples.  All suspected positive tests are automatically

  confirmed by Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) -- a test so advanced

 it is considered as accurate as fingerprinting.  All EDPM laboratory-based drug screens

  are processed through laboratories that are certified by the Department of Health and

  Human Services (DHHS) and approved by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health

  Services Administration (SAMHSA).

  Hair -- Laboratory Testing
  One alternative to urine drug screens that is gaining considerable traction, particularly

  for pre-employment testing, is hair testing for drugs.  Hair testing offers a longer window

  of detection, typically 60-90 days.  Drugs that can be detected in hair include:

  amphetamines (including methamphetamine and ecstasy), cocaine, marijuana, opiates

  and phencyclidine (PCP).  It is virtually impossible to tamper with a hair sample by

  substitution or adulteration. 

  Oral Fluid Testing - Laboratory Based
  An oral fluid test is simple and can be done easily in an office.  A swab is used to

  collect saliva from the donor in a non-invasive manner.  The sample is then sent to a

  laboratory for initial testing and GC/MS confirmation.

  Instant Tests
  Instant tests or Point of Collection Tests (POCT) enable your company to drug test

  employees quickly and efficiently in the convenience of your company's office, with

  east-to-read results available in minutes.  To learn more about instant tests, go to Instant Tests.

  Chart for Comparison of Different Types of Testing Methodologies
  (Based on the federal government's recent "Proposed Rule")

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