[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 151 (Friday, October 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  URGING SAMHSA TO QUICKLY MOVE FORWARD WITH REVISIONS TO THE FEDERAL 
                        DRUG-TESTING GUIDELINES

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                          HON. CHARLES W. DENT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 4, 2007

  Mr. DENT. Madam Speaker, I am fortunate to have located within my 
District a company by the name of OraSure Technologies. OraSure, of 
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has been at the forefront in the development 
of diagnostic testing technologies. Specifically, it is the leader in 
the development of a protocol for the utilization of oral fluid samples 
in diagnostic testing.
  Conducting drug testing on oral fluid samples, as opposed to blood, 
urine or hair submissions, represents a huge advancement in drug-
testing technology. Drawing blood or collecting urine from a subject is 
invasive and time-consuming, as compared to utilizing an oral fluid 
sample, which can be obtained from a simple swab of the cheek. 
Moreover, oral fluid testing is both cost-effective and accurate. For 
these reasons, the use of this technology has increased. Nearly seven 
million oral fluid drug specimens have been successfully processed in 
the non-federally regulated workplace since the technology was first 
approved by the FDA in 2000.
  Technological advancements in the testing of oral fluids for the 
presence of drugs have come none too soon. In a July 16, 2007 report 
released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration, SAMHSA, a tenant agency within the Department of Health 
and Human Services, SAMHSA indicated that illegal drug use is on the 
rise in the workplace. The survey found that nearly one in every 12 
Americans had used illicit drugs in the 30 days prior to the survey. 
Overall this survey found that 8.2 percent of Americans are drug users, 
up from 7.7 percent in 1997. Much of the increase in drug use is 
occurring in our young people, a very real concern for America. In the 
18-25 age group, SAMHSA found 19 percent had used drugs in the last 
month. Still concerning, the 26-34 age group had used drugs at a rate 
of 10.3 percent. This trend needs to be reversed. The development and 
availability of testing methods--such as OraSure's--that are accurate, 
cost-effective, and non-invasive gives employers a tool to set 
expectations and promote accountability.
  SAMHSA recognizes the gravity of drug use in the workplace. 
Accordingly, it is now revising federal drug-testing guidelines to 
ensure that more companies and federal agencies have access to the 
latest advancements in drug testing technology including oral fluid-
based testing. I encourage SAMHSA to move quickly with the revisions. 
Illegal drug use is not just a criminal justice issue; drug use has a 
negative effect on productivity in the work place and drug users who 
labor in positions vital to the public safety constitute a potential 
threat to homeland security. I commend SAMHSA for taking steps to 
decrease drug use in our society and I urge quick adoption of revisions 
to the outdated federal drug-testing guidelines.




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