DRUG TEST FOE TURNS ENTREPRENEUR BY SELLING HIS OWN CLEAN SPECIMENS

Every time Ken Curtis goes to the bathroom, he's making
money.

And making a statement.

Curtis sells his urine to people around the country, including people
in Atlanta, who have to take drug tests for work or other purposes.
Using his kit, Curtis said, his crystal-clean urine can easily and
inconspicuously be substituted for that of the testee.

"I'm the most tested man in America," said Curtis, who doesn't drink,
smoke or use drugs, and has sold thousands of his kits. "I lead a very
clean lifestyle."

Signs promoting his Privacy Protection Service have been popping up in
high traffic areas around Metro Atlanta --- "Pass Any Drug Test" the
brightly colored fliers read. Curtis, of Marietta, S.C., said he
didn't put up the signs, but that it was probably one of his
"satisfied customers."

Most major companies test at least some of their prospective employees
for drug use and some periodically test existing employees. And for
years, people have been selling or donating their clean bodily fluids
for testing. A quick search of the Internet reveals many products and
methods that claim to be surefire ways of beating drug tests. But
Curtis' method is elaborate and, he claims, 100 percent foolproof.

He said he does not condone drug use, but feels that bodily fluid
tests are a serious invasion of privacy. The tests, he said, can be
used to see whether a prospective employee is on prescription
medication, has a disease or is pregnant --- issues that an employer
cannot ask about during interviews.

"It's a way for employers to get past fair hiring practices," he said.
"My intent has never been to defraud a drug test. My issue has always
been to dupe an anti-privacy test."

Corporations in Atlanta that test prospective employees for drug use
don't seem too concerned about Curtis' kit.

"I just can't imagine anyone getting through (our test procedure) and
being able to use a falsified sample," said Kristen Petrella, a
spokeswoman for UPS, of Atlanta, which tests some of its drivers. "We
stop just short of watching the sample being taken."

Even if they did watch, Curtis said, his kit would
work.

For about $70, Curtis will send out enough urine for two tests. The
kit looks like a small IV bag, about the size of a cigarette pack,
with a long tube attached that has a small valve at the end. The idea
is for the person being tested to tape the bag to their body and
activate the attached heating packet, which keeps the sample at body
temperature for about 10 hours. The tube is run down to the person's
genitals, so that even if someone is watching the test, it will appear
that he or she is actually urinating.

Curtis' kit caused enough concern for South Carolina officials that a
state bill was passed outlawing the promotion of any product,
including bodily fluids, with the intent of duping drug tests. There
is no such law in most states, including Georgia.

Sen. David L. Thomas, the sponsor of South Carolina's bill, said
people who fake these tests may be operating trains, planes and heavy
machinery.

"If you can defeat the urine test, then it raises all kinds of safety
issues," said Thomas, a Republican. "It's the general safety of the
public at stake here."

And, for most corporations, that's the point of the
tests.

"We're operating in and around the general public day in and day out
sometimes with heavy equipment," said Chad McIntosh, director of loss
management for Atlanta-based Home Depot. "We want to ensure that any
associate at Home Depot isn't under the influence of anything when
they are conducting business for us."

McIntosh, too, said his company is very precise about its testing and
is not worried about Curtis' kit or any other product that supposedly
beats a drug test. He said concerns about using the tests to discover
medical problems are unwarranted at Home Depot --- the samples are
thrown away after they are tested for illegal drugs.

But such words don't appease Curtis, who will continue to save and
distribute his urine. In fact, he said he saves practically every drop.

"It's liquid gold," he said, "so I don't waste it."

SAMPLING SAFEGUARDS Companies use different methods for collecting
samples from applicants and employees. Officials at UPS use the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidelines. Here are some
of the many rules under those regulations: Each employer must have a
designated site where the specimen must be collected. Only the person
at the collection site may handle the specimen prior to it being
secured in an envelope for analysis. All water must be shut off and
toilet water should be blued so the specimen cannot be diluted. All
unnecessary outer garments, such as a coat or jacket must be removed
and all personal belongings, such as purses and briefcases, must be
set aside. The temperature of the sample must be taken and range from
90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The specimen must be sealed in the
presence of the employee or applicant and he or she must sign
appropriate forms. Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

MEDICAL TESTING The American Management Association conducted a survey
of its members about workplace testing in 1999. Of the 10,000
organizations in its membership --- which employ about 25 percent of
the U.S. work force --- there were 1,054 useable responses. The
responses show the percentage of companies that used medical tests,
including urine sampling, to test any or all employees for one, or
some, of the following:

Illegal substances................... 69.7
Fitness for duty..................... 54.7
Sexually transmitted diseases.........2.8
HIV infection......................... 2.8
Pregnancy.............................0.6
Sickle cell anemia.................... 0.9
Huntington's disease.................. 0.0
Breast/colon cancer...................4.3
Susceptibility to workplace hazards.. 16.7
Family medical history............... 24.4