The internet is complicating the fight against workplace substance abuse for many companies in Louisiana’s industrial complex. Even as drug testing technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, some workers are finding ways to elude employer-mandated drug testing through a quick and easy internet search, as 10/12 Industry Report details in a feature from its latest quarterly issue.
“Typically, you get between 5 million to 8 million hits when you search on Google,” says Garet Rembert, president of TromLab, a Florida-based developer of drug detection technology. “Social media educates the drug user instantly on how to pass the drug test, and there are a ton of different subversion methods.”
Synthetic urine is the most significant threat. Rembert estimates that $1 billion of the product is sold online in the U.S., primarily by companies based in China. Chemists there balance the pH perfectly and actually provide preparation instructions for passing a test.
“They show you steps, from A to Z,” Rembert adds. “And if you fail your test, you can get 100% of your money back, guaranteed. That’s how confident they are.”
Despite the availability of synthetic products, some owners and contractors feel the number of forgeries is relatively low. Mark Sammis, director of human resources at Excel Modular Scaffold, which has four offices in Louisiana, says his company stays ahead of the problem by using companies such as DISA Global Solutions, a third party testing administrator that relies upon a network of vendor lab partners.
DISA’s lab partners use a portfolio of testing methods, including urine, hair and saliva, to stay ahead of the cheaters. Still, urine testing remains the standard for many in the petrochemical, oil and gas markets. Rembert says the problem is bigger than some think because there’s no way to really know how deeply the market has been impacted.
Local testing agencies are doing a decent job of keeping up with the times, says Sarah Taylor, clinic administrator at Gulf Coast Occupational Medicine in Baton Rouge. But she agrees that there are forces working against them
“Take a trip to a ‘head shop’ or a drug paraphernalia store and you’d be amazed at everything on the market, from shampoos to drinks to everything else to help you with your drug test,” Taylor says.
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