Methamphetamine Use Rates Higher Among Workers in Western States

A study of workplace drug-screening tests finds methamphetamine use is higher among workers in Western states. The study, by Quest Diagnostics, found Hawaii’s rates of positive screens for meth was 410 percent greater than the national average. Other states that were well above the national average include:
•    Arkansas – 280 percent  
•    Oklahoma – 240 percent
•    Nevada – 180 percent
•    California – 140 percent
•    Wyoming – 130 percent
•    Utah – 120 percent
•    Arizona – 100 percent

The study found the rate of positive meth screening in the workplace stands at 0.10 percent nationally, down from 0.18 percent in 2006. The rate remained steady from 2009 to 2010, the Los Angeles Times reports. Meth use in the workplace is significantly lower in Eastern states, the study found. The results are based on more than 4.5 million drug-screening tests conducted in 2010.