DRUG TESTS FOR AVIATION WORKERS BEING REDUCED

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that it was reducing the
minimum number of aviation workers required to take random alcohol tests
after two years of low violation rates.

This year only 10 percent of aviation industry employees working in safety
and security related jobs will be subject to alcohol testing, down from 25
percent in 1997.

FAA said in a statement that it based its decision on alcohol violation
rates of 0.06 percent in 1995 and 0.08 percent in 1996, the two most recent
years for which complete results are available.