Each year Quest Diagnostics provides it’s annual Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index (DTI). What this shows us is high level numbers on how much people that are trying to get hired are using and testing positive for drugs. This trend has been on an uptick the last several years as many of the traditional American drugs have popped back up, along with some other notable changes with more use of marijuana around the country. Here are a few takeaways from the 2020 DTI.
Drug Testing Positivity Reaches New Highs
Some of the increased usage rates around the country, particularly in the midwest were found highest in dramatic increases in the use of cocaine, methamphetamine, as well as marijuana. If you are testing your potential employees, there are many ways that someone can try to beat a drug test. We recommend thoroughly checking your potential hires to avoid your company taking a significant fiscal and PR hit.
On a positive note, opiate use among the U.S. workforce did show a steady decline among urine drug tests. The opiate epidemic hit our workforce hard so it is good to see that go down.
You Can Take a Look at the Full Report From Quest Here
Hair Drug Testing Shows Increase Over Last Year
As you may know, a hair drug test can reach further back in a potential new hire’s past than a urine drug test. You can see more about that here on our website. What was clear over a trend from 2017 to 2018 and 2019 was that positive marijuana results increased from about 6.4% to 7.1% in 2020. This may not seem like a lot, but as recreational use and medicinal use of marijuana becomes more and more prevalent, you can’t avoid taking a deeper look at your drug testing policies.
Positivity Depends Where You Are on the Map
Each state has different guidelines and different jurisdictions when it comes to the law. When it comes to drug testing, each industry has different reasons and guidelines. What you may not think about is how workforce drug tests show higher positivity rates in some areas of the country than others. Take this map below for example. You can see here that the amount of positive cocaine results vary from state to state.
This chart in particular varies in appearance when changing the type of drug involved in the positivity rates. This chart below, shows a variance in positivity rates, but for opiates.
It’s always best to drug test any potential new hires. The need for drug testing in 2020 only increases when we start to think about having to rehire former employees, or hire new employees after a long furlough. There has been quite a bit of new normal instituted in our lives this year, but it can still make a great new beginning for your company.
If you want to talk about hiring and rehiring new employees, just give us a call. We have been working with courts around the country for years and we can help you put a perfect new drug test plan in place.
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