Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index Analysis Finds
In 2022, the percentage of employees in the general U.S. workforce testing positive for marijuana following an on-the-job accident increased to its highest level in 25 years, according to a new analysis by Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services.
Last year, post-accident marijuana positivity of urine drug tests in the U.S. workforce was 7.3 percent, an increase of 9 percent over the previous year. The new peak follows a steady increase in post-accident marijuana positivity every year from 2012 to 2022. In that 10-year time frame, post-accident marijuana positivity increased 204.2 percent. From 2002 to 2009, post-accident marijuana workforce positivity declined.
These increases in post-accident marijuana positivity correspond with legalization of marijuana in certain states. In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Since then, 19 additional states and the District of Columbia have legalized the recreational use of marijuana and 38 states (plus the District of Columbia) have legalized medical use, although any kind of use remains illegal under federal law.
Intoxicating cannabis products, including marijuana, can have a major impact on safety at work and has been proven to slow reaction time, impact memory and impair skills essential to driving. State legalization of the drug creates new challenges for employers,” said Katie Mueller, a Senior Program Manager at the National Safety Council focusing on cannabis safety. “The Quest data provides compelling evidence that increased use of cannabis products by employees can contribute to greater risk for injuries in the workplace. It is imperative employers take the proper steps to create and maintain a policy that addresses cannabis use, build a safety-focused culture and educate the workforce to keep all workers safe on and off the job.”
In 2022, the combined U.S. workforce urine drug positivity for all drugs persisted at 4.6 percent — the highest level in two decades. The 2021 and 2022 positivity rates were the highest since 2001, up more than 30 percent from an all-time low in 2010-2012.
While marijuana was the main driver of workforce positivity increases in the workforce, amphetamines positivity also contributed to the increase. Positivity for marijuana increased 10.3 percent and amphetamines positivity increased 15.4 percent. While the company’s amphetamines data do not differentiate between prescribed medications and illicit drug use, the increase correlates with other data suggesting that the use of amphetamines, prescribed or illicit, has grown in recent years in the U.S.
The rising overall drug positivity rate for general workforce urine testing was observed widely across U.S. industries. “Our 2022 Quest Diagnostics analysis shows that the overall U.S. workforce positivity rate continued to be at a historically elevated level in 2022, even as much of the nation’s workforce returned to the office post-pandemic,” said Keith Ward, General Manager and Vice President for Employer Solutions at Quest Diagnostics. “This historic rise seems to correspond with sharp increases in positivity for marijuana in both pre-employment and post-accident drug tests, suggesting that changing societal attitudes about marijuana may be impacting workplace behaviors and putting colleagues at risk. The increase in amphetamines positivity is also notable, given the addictive potential and health risks associated with this class of drugs.”
“Year-over-year and five-year data point to continuously higher workforce drug positivity overall, by industry and across multiple drug categories,” said Suhash Harwani, PhD, Senior Director of Science for Employer Solutions at Quest Diagnostics. “As employers express concern for employee health, wellness and safety, they may want to consider this data as a warning sign, particularly as a growing body of science demonstrates the risks of marijuana to mental and physical health.”
“States that have legalized recreational and medical marijuana use exhibit higher positivity rates than the national average. States that have not legalized marijuana appear to have positivity rates below the national averages,” said Dr. Harwani. “Overall, post-accident and pre-employment positivity test rates among the federally mandated, safety-sensitive population have always been lower, suggesting the expectation of testing may be a deterrent.”
Urine positivity rates for post-accident testing increased over five years. The rise in marijuana post-accident positivity among private employers mirrored an increase in overall drug positivity in individuals tested post-accident. Rates of post-accident drug positivity increased both year over year and over the past five years in nearly all specimen types tested.
Post-accident testing is conducted to evaluate whether drug use may have played a role in a workplace incident prompting the drug test. Both post-accident and pre-employment drug testing aim to protect non-drug using workers from others who may use drugs in the workplace and pose a danger.
U.S. workforce positivity plateaued at a 20-year high. The overall positivity rate based on more than nine million urine drug tests was 4.6 percent in 2022 and 2021, an increase of 31.4 percent from the all-time low just 11 years ago.
Over five years, workforce positivity increased in every industry category. Accommodation and Food Services led the way with a 42.9 percent increase in positivity and Construction increased 14.6 percent. Marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines showed widespread increases across industry sectors. Florida employers need to understand that workers’ compensation may not cover those who have been injured on the job and test positive for a controlled substance.
Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world’s largest database of clinical lab results, diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, with nearly 50,000 employees that understand, in the right hands and with the right context, diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives.
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