There’s some good news in employee drug use data released by Quest Diagnostics.  Employee drug use is declining and the use of hair and urine samples in the testing confirms that. Hair tests show that cocaine use has decreased 35% and methamphetamine use 55% since 2005.  Interestingly, newer testing methods involving hair samples do find many more instances of drug use.  In the first 6 months of 2009 cocaine was found in 3 of every 1000 urine tests on applicants and employees, while hair tests found it in 32 of 1000.  Methamphetamine was found in 1 of every 1000 urine tests and 9 times in hair tests.

Hair tests, while more expensive, are more accurate because they can identify drug use going back 3 months.  Urine tests can find drugs within 1-3 days of use and so can more easily be “beaten” by those tested.  They’re most useful following workplace accidents or to follow up on suspicious employee behavior.