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Article: Drug Testing Ferrets Out Few Users; Critics Cite Low Figures as Proof Program Is Costly, Fruitless
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- July 19, 1988
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Since the U.S. Customs Service began random drug testing last
year, the agency has analyzed the urine samples of 2,100 of its
employees. Only one showed any trace of illegal drugs-a "positive"
test rate of .05 percent.
At the Department of the Army, 2,117 civilian employees have been
tested since Oct. 1, 1986. Eighteen, or 0.8 percent, tested positive
for drugs.
Those numbers do not appear unusual. As the Reagan
administration gears up for a massive program to impose drug testing
throughout the government, scattered early returns from a few
agencies show a clear trend: Only a tiny fraction of federal
employees, generally less than 1 percent, are showing signs of drug
use.
That compares ...