SAMHSA / DOT Federal Mandated Drug Testing programs are NOT in place to improve workplace safety

Department of Health and Human ServiceSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency

Drug Testing Advisory Board

Meeting Minutes - August 19-20, 2008

Public Question #1 - "Does it matter whether a substance is legal or illegal, therapeutic or not? Rather, isn't it the concern of whether or not it has impairing affects and hence creates an unacceptable safety risk?" 

SAMHSA Response - This program (SAMHSA / DOT) was established as a demand reduction for illegal drugs. It has nothing to do with impairment or safety risk at work in the context of therapeutic drugs.

Question #2 - "Although urine drug test results do not indicate or correlate with a level of impairment, is it scientifically feasible to associate results of chemical urine drug tests with levels of impairment in the same way that a blood or a breath alcohol level is associated with intoxication?" 

SAMHSA Response - No.   Urine is a fluid that is stored in the bladder until a convenient time for elimination. Though urine is still contained in the body, it reflects what happened in the past. Since urine is not in equilibrium with the CNS as is blood or breath for the purposes of ethyl alcohol testing, interpretation impairment cannot be assessed. 

The second day of this two-day meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m. on August 20, 2008.    

I hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the foregoing minutes are accurate and complete.

/SIGNED/ Donna M. Bush, Ph.D., D-ABFT Designated Federal Official, DTAB

/SIGNED/ Robert L. Stephenson II, M.P.H. Chair, DTAB