A new study shows the use of crystal methamphetamine or “ice” in the workplace is up slightly.
Diagnostic Laboratory Services says crystal meth use rose slightly from 0.4 percent in the last quarter to 0.7 percent this quarter.The study shows the number is still down from the first quarter of 2011, when crystal meth use in the workplace was at 1.1 percent.
In September of 2011, Quest Diagnostics, a major drug tester based on the mainland, released the results of a five-year study, which indicated that Hawaii’s meth use was 410 percent greater than the national average.
“Though the Hawaii comparison to the mainland sounds dramatic, one must be aware, that when comparing small numbers, percentages seem very large,” said Carl Linden, scientific director of toxicology at Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Inc. “In this case meth positives of 0.1% on the mainland compared to 0.7% in Hawaii.”
Synthetic urine use dropped slightly, from 1.6 percent to 1.4 percent, as did the use of THC (marijuana), 3.2 percent to 3.0 percent and cocaine, from 0.4 percent to 0.3 percent.
Opiate use at 0.2 percent remained unchanged.
