Workplace Drug-Test Positives Falling

DRUG TESTING April 1996

According to the latest report from Smithkline Beecham Clinical Laboratories, positive workplace drug tests declined 10.6 percent in 1995, continuing an eight-year trend (Smithkline Beecham Clinical Laboratories News Release, February 29, 1996; "Smithkline Test Index Shows Continued Drop in Test Positives," Drug Detection Report, March 5, 1996, p. 1).

6.7 percent of the 3.75 million general workforce tests conducted in 1995 came up positive, down from 7.5 percent in 1994 and 8.4 percent in 1993. Despite this overall decline, the positive test rate for marijuana was up 20 percent from 1994 to 56.4 percent of all positive tests. Smithkline Beecham attributed this increase to rising popularity of the drug among young people entering the workforce.

[For a copy of the newsrelease with figures, contact the NewsBriefs office.]