WORKPLACE DRUG USE IS DOWN, BUT CHEATING ON THE TESTS ISN'T

Workplace drug use has fallen to its lowest level in 11 years, but cheating
incidents on drug tests are on the rise, according to a survey released
Wednesday by the nation's largest independent processor of workplace drug
tests.

New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics Inc. compiles workplace drug testing
data semiannually for clients, including government agencies, airlines,
professional sports leagues, retailers and hospitals.

At the time of the first survey in 1988, 13.6% of all drug tests were
reported as positive. But the percentage of positive tests has dropped
steadily. And last year, only 4.6% of about 6 million tests performed by
the company were positive.

In Orange County and elsewhere in Southern California, workers most
commonly tested positive for amphetamines, according to the study.

Quest Diagnostics began checking for cheating in 1998. This year's study
reported oxidizing adulterants such as bleach were found in 5,400 samples,
used in an effort to mask a positive result, up slightly from results in
1998. An additional 2,400 samples had been substituted in an effort to pass
the test, the company found.

"Cheating has gone on for a long time, but it's clear that with the advent
of the Internet, cheaters have been sharing a lot more information," said
Gary Samuels, spokesman for Quest Diagnostics. "There are a lot of new
products available to help cheaters mask the drugs or substitute their
specimens."