[Drug use among workers: an update]

Abstract

We present data coming from two years of surveillance of drug use among workers, as provided for by the recent law. Urine samples have been collected either by our lab or by the firm; procedures and investigated substances followed the law. Self-reported information on job duties and history of drug use have also been collected. Between September 2008 and April 2010, n = 2745 workers (age 40.5 +/- 9.5, 98% men, 43% handling workers) were screened, for a total number of 3002 urine samples. Among the samples with creatinine > = 20 mg/dl (n = 2878), 46 were positive (1.6%); no temporal trends were detected. Cannabis e cocaine were the two most spread substances. Positivity was associated with young age and presence of another positive sample in the same firm. Furthermore, we present the results of the analysis (urine and hair samples) on 146 suspected drug abuser selected by the SERT Varese in the same time period.