Today’s issue of WorkCompRecap features Quest Diagnostics’ release of the results of the latest edition of its Drug Testing Index, which provides insights into trends in workforce drug use based on positivity rates of de-identified laboratory tests performed by Quest for a range of illicit, legal and prescription drugs.
Key findings included that the percentage of employees testing positive for marijuana following a workplace accident has reached its highest point in 25 years, climbing to 7.3% – a 9% increase compared to the previous year, and part of a consistent trend, with post-accident marijuana positivity surging 204.2% over the past decade. The report also notes that the rate of positive drug test results (for all drugs) across the workforce soared to its highest level since 2001 last year and exhibited a rise of more than 30% from the record low registered between 2010-2012 in the combined U.S. workforce.