According to Alex Azar, Human and Health Services Secretary, there could be an additional 65,000 deaths from drug overdose, alcohol abuse, and suicide over the 10 years following the pandemic recession due to emotional distress. DISA Global Solutions’ Clinical Reference Laboratories has reported that April’s positivity rates were up by more than 16 percent and the trend continued into May, specifically for marijuana use. DISA’s year-over-year data from random drug testing has shown a dramatic increase in drug abuse for safety-sensitive positions, including a marked increase in amphetamine and opioid positivity rates. In fact, the two have surpassed cocaine in random drug testing positivity rates. As workplaces begin to reopen, it is crucial that employers implement drug testing procedures.
