Workplace tests show drug use rising

At least a million people go to work with drugs in their system, a study suggests.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Jul 2012, 07:00 BST

Around one in 30 employees tested at work last year had taken narcotics, with the most prevalent drugs being cannabis, opiates and cocaine, figures from drug testing firm Concateno showed.

Drug use among employees was up 43 per cent from 2007, rising to 3.23 per cent last year from 2.26 per cent.

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The figures come from an analysis of 1.7m tests carried out for 856 UK employers, including public transport firms, freight haulage and the emergency services.

Concateno laboratory director Dr Claire George said: “These are conservative figures when you consider how many companies do not have a screening programme in place.

“Concateno has seen an increase in the number of businesses seeking assistance with drug and alcohol screening programmes.”

The report also found the most likely age group to test positive for Class A drugs were 25 to 34-year-olds rather than the under-25s , who were likely to have less money.