This chapter provides
a trend analysis of the drug and alcohol testing conducted by all of the employers
reporting in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
5.1 Drug and Alcohol Reports Received
In 1996, a total of 2,287 MIS forms were received and in 1997 there were 2,317 MIS forms submitted. In 1998, reporters could submit either hard copy MIS forms or data diskettes; the combined total of these in 1998 was 2,477. In 1999, there were 2,588 submissions, and in 2000 there were 2,657 submissions. Therefore, the number of drug and alcohol reports received has increased 16.2 percent over this 5-year period. The majority of this growth is due to the increased number of contractors reporting – this swell may be indicative of an industry-wide trend in contracting for services. Figure 5-1 illustrates this trend.
Figure 5-1. Drug and Alcohol
Reports Received
The total number of drug MIS reports with at least one positive test result has decreased for each of the last 5 years. For transit systems, the number increased slightly in 1999, after a steady decline from the preceding years, and it declined again in 2000. For contractors, their lowest rate of drug reports with positives was in 2000, although their rate was significantly higher than for transit systems for all 5 years. The total number of alcohol reports with test results > 0.04 was on a downward trend with a slight increase in 2000, but with an overall decline in rates since 1996. See Table 5-1.
|
|
Drug |
Alcohol |
||||||||
| Employer |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
|
Transit Systems |
24.36 |
23.56 |
23.06 |
23.46 |
21.65 |
4.30 |
3.66 |
3.06 |
2.89 |
2.94 |
| Contractors |
37.34 |
40.91 |
35.10 |
33.96 |
33.75 |
3.82 |
4.26 |
5.08 |
2.40 |
3.24 |
| Totals |
30.95 |
28.83 |
27.57 |
27.36 |
26.01 |
4.06 |
3.84 |
3.75 |
2.70 |
3.05 |
5.2 Positive Drug and Alcohol Test Results
The transit industry-wide
positive random drug test rate has declined over the last 5 years.
Consistent with that trend is the random positive drug testing rate of
the transit systems. Random alcohol test results > 0.04
were in a downward trend until 2000, where the rate remained consistent with
the previous year’s rate. However, the
results of contractor testing are not consistent with that trend. Contractors’ positive random drug rates are
at a much higher rate than transit systems and have fluctuated during the 5-year
period. The overall rates for random
positive drug test results have declined each year over the past 5 years with
a downward trend experienced from 1996-1999, and a slight increase in 2000 for
random alcohol test results > 0.04. Table 5-2 shows the positive drug rate from 1996 to 2000. See Figures 5-2 and 5-3 for information on
random drug and alcohol test results.
Table 5-2. Drug
Positive Rate for 1996 to 2000
| 1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
|
1.60% |
1.27% |
1.20% |
1.14% |
1.05 |
Figure 5-2. Comparison of Verified Positive Random Drug Test Results
| |
Figure
5-3. Comparison of Random Alcohol Test Results >
0.04
The positive
drug test rate for all types of tests declined for the 1996-1999 time period,
and has remained constant from 1999 to 2000. Test rates for contractors were
substantially higher than those of transit systems. See Figure 5-4.
Figure 5-4. Percent of Verified Drug Test Positives
The alcohol test rate > 0.04 for all types of
tests has remained fairly constant for 1996-1998, dipping slightly in 1999
and again in 2000, showing a downward trend from 1998 on. Test rates for contractors were higher
than those of transit systems, particularly in 1998. See Figure 5-5.
Figure 5-5. Percentage of All Alcohol Screening Test Results > 0.04
5.3 Violation Rates and Test Refusals
See Figure 5-6 for the alcohol violation rate. In every year but 1996, contractors had a much greater violation rate than transit systems. In 1999, contractors nearly doubled transit systems in their violation rate. The overall trend has increased since 1996, and the total rate has fluctuated each year.
| Figure 5-6. Violation Rate (Alcohol) |
Figure 5-7. Alcohol
Test Refusals
Figure 5-8. Drug Test Refusals
5.4
Drug and Alcohol Test Positives by Employment Category and Test Type
Figure 5-10 depicts
the percent of verified drug test positives by test type for the last 5 years.
For return-to-duty
testing, contractors had a greater percent of positives than in 1996, and
an increase from the previous year. Post-accident
positives for contractors also increased in 2000 from the previous year, as
well as from the 1996 data.
All the testing
categories for transit systems showed declines in the percent of positive
tests in 2000, as
compared to 1996.
The testing categories for contractors of pre-employment, post-accident,
and return-to-duty all showed increases in the percent positive in 2000 as
compared to 1996. The testing categories
of random, reasonable suspicion, and follow-up all showed declines in the
percent positive in 2000 as compared to 1996.
The only testing category that showed a decline each year
in positive test results was for random testing of transit systems.
For alcohol testing (see Figure 5-11), random positives
for transit systems were the only test type that showed a decline in the percent
of positive test results > for each of the 4 years, with the fifth
year being constant.
If comparing 1996 with 2000, there were less positives > for both transit systems and contractors for post-accident and follow-up testing. Return-to-duty testing also showed a decline for transit systems and a constant percentage for contractors in comparison of the 1996 and 2000 data.
| Pre-Employment |
Random |
| Post-Accident |
Reasonable Suspicion |
| Return-to-Duty |
Follow-up |
Figure 5-9. Drug Test Results by Test Type, 1996 to 2000
| Post-Accident |
Reasonable Suspicion |
|
Return-to-Duty |
Follow-up |
| Random |
|
Figure 5-10. Alcohol
Test Results > 0.04 by Test Type, 1996 to 2000
Figure 5-12 compares test results by drug type from 1996 to 2000. As shown, marijuana (THC) was the predominant drug found in pre-employment, random, and post-accident testing. Cocaine was the most frequently detected drug in the reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty, and follow-up testing categories.
Figure 5-11. Comparison of Verified Test Positives by Drug Type, 1996 to 2000
5.5 Drug and Alcohol Test Positives – Regional Comparisons
Figures 5-13 and 5-14 show random alcohol tests > 0.04 and positive random drug test by region. Figure 5-15 depicts the percent of positive random drug tests by region. As shown, for each of the 5 years, marijuana was detected most frequently in positive samples, followed by cocaine. Amphetamines were the third most frequently detected, although in substantially smaller numbers; the highest percent of amphetamine positives was in 2000 with 5.39 percent. Specific percentages are cited in the following tables.
Figure 5-12. Random Alcohol Test
Results > 0.04 by Region
Figure 5-13. Verified Positive Random Drug Tests by Region
Figure 5-14. Percent of Verified Positive Random Drug Tests by Drug Type
