Tests Suggest More Workers Are Using Fentanyl

A growing share of American workers are testing positive for fentanyl in random workplace drug checks, according to new data from Quest Diagnostics. The lab analyzed more than 8 million urine tests and found that 1.13% were positive for fentanyl in 2024, up from 0.91% the previous year and roughly double the rate recorded in 2020. This marks an outlier among drug trends, as positivity rates for most other substances fell slightly last year, from 4.6% to 4.4%, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Random drug tests are proving more effective at detecting fentanyl use than pre-employment screenings, which many candidates can anticipate and prepare for. In fact, fentanyl positivity was more than seven times higher in random tests compared to those administered during hiring. The findings suggest employees may start using fentanyl after securing a job, raising concerns over workplace safety, absenteeism, and overdose risk. Marijuana's positivity rate, by comparison, was 42% lower in random tests than in prehiring tests.

The backdrop to these results is the ongoing opioid crisis. While preliminary CDC data shows deaths tied to synthetic opioids—primarily fentanyl—declined 2% last year, these drugs still account for 7 in 10 fatal US overdoses. The epidemic's workplace impact is especially felt in industries like construction and transportation, where unintentional overdoses have risen annually for a decade. One reason fentanyl is harder to catch early: It clears the body in hours, unlike substances such as cannabis, which can linger for days. This short detection window makes it easier for job candidates to pass initial screenings.