Pubdate: Sat, 22 Mar 2008
Source: Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (WY)
Copyright: 2008 The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
Contact:  http://www.wyomingnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1217
Author: Michael Van Cassell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH USE AT WORK DOWN

CHEYENNE -- Statistics from the nation's largest  drug-testing company
showed fewer Wyoming workers had  methamphetamine in their systems in
2007 than in the  two years previous, according to a study released by
  the White House.

In 2005, 1 percent of Wyoming workers tested positive  for
methamphetamine, while last year 0.28 percent of  those tested had the
drug in their system, according to  the study. It marked a 72 percent
decrease in workers  who tested positive for methamphetamine.

Nationally, workplace methamphetamine use decreased 44  percent from
2005 to 2007, according to the study.

The statistics were compiled with information from the  Quest
Diagnostics Drug Testing Index -- the largest  drug-testing company in
the nation, said Jennifer de  Vallance, press secretary for the Office
of National  Drug Control Policy.

Laramie County Sheriff's Department spokesman Gerry  Luce said there
seems to be a general decline in the  regional use of methamphetamine,
but not with those  being arrested in the county.

"What we've seen is actually a slight increase of  people coming into
the jail," Luce said of  methamphetamine use.

Luce said methamphetamine makes those who use it more  prone to
violence and conflicts with staff members.

Methamphetamine also complicates medical care for  inmates who use,
Luce said.

"We have to pay more attention to those individuals,"  Luce
said.

According to Quest Diagnostics, methamphetamine use  continues to be
more prevalent in Wyoming than in most  states across the country,
according to the company's  results.

In 2002, the state and national averages of those  testing positive
for methamphetamine in the workplace  was the same at 0.32 percent,
according to the  company's results.

Since then, Wyoming's workplace methamphetamine average  has remained
higher than the national average every  year, according to Quest
Diagnostics.

In 2005, when methamphetamine in the Wyoming workplace  spiked to one
in every 100 testing positive, it was  more than five times the
national average of 0.18  percent, according to the results.

Last year, the average in Wyoming was 180 percent  higher than the
national average, according to the  study.

Dr. Mindy Dahl, a research scientist with the Wyoming  Department of
Health's Mental Health and Substance  Abuse Services Division, said it
is difficult to  generalize workforce methamphetamine use across the
state based on the drug-testing results from one  company.

"At this point, workforce drug testing information is  not held in a
single statewide repository and thus is  difficult to access," Dahl
said.

Access to such information, which is held by multiple  drug-testing
companies, can be limited because of  privacy issues, she said.

State agencies are beginning to discuss how to share  information and
statistics on workforce drug testing in  Wyoming, Dahl said.
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MAP posted-by: Derek