Whitfield, Engel Introduce National Drug Testing Integrity Act | News | Congressman Ed Whitfield

News | Congressman Ed Whitfield | United States Representative

Whitfield, Engel Introduce National Drug Testing Integrity Act Mar 9, 2006 U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) on Wednesday introduced H.R. 4910, the National Drug Testing Integrity Act, a bill to prohibit products that defraud workplace drug tests.

The National Drug Testing Integrity Act is the result of a May 17, 2005 hearing Whitfield held in the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee examining businesses that make products to defraud or falsify workplace drug tests. Witnesses called to testify before the Subcommittee revealed that many of these products are designed to mask the presence of drugs in a users blood, urine, hair, and saliva and are readily advertised and available over the Internet. In fact, last year an NFL player was stopped in an airport with a Whizzinator, a prosthetic device that stores uncontaminated urine samples and which helps drug users pass screening tests undetected.

Illegal drug use in the workplace contributes to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism and, in some cases, accidental injuries and deaths, Whitfield said. The National Drug Testing Integrity Act will help eliminate drug test frauds and help restore the effectiveness of drug testing in the workplace.

This bill is about making America a safer place to live. Today, parents have no assurances their childrens school bus driver is not using readily available products to help them defeat drug tests, said Engel. Drug tests are given by employers to ensure that their workers are not using illegal drugs. The devastating effects of drug and steroid use are well known and we should not allow companies to sell products like the Whizzinator to falsify their tests with impunity. These devices should not be sold legally in the United States and this legislation will make our nation a safer place to live.

The Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA), a 1,300 member trade association representing drug and alcohol testing services, laboratories, and testing device manufacturers strongly endorsed the legislation. In a release, DATIA spokesperson Jeffrey Smith said DATIA has long supported a federal solution to ending the manufacture, sale, distribution, and marketing of the products specifically meant to thwart a legal and legitimate drug test, and fully supports the efforts of Representatives Whitfield and Engel.

Each year, drug use costs American businesses billions of dollars. As more products intended to defraud drug tests flood the market, laboratories must develop and utilize new drug detection technologies. These costs are passed along to employers, who may no longer be able to afford the testing that helps ensure a strong and effective drug-free workplace. Taking drug test subversion products off the market will help employers climb out from under this heavy financial burden.

There is a quickly expanding industry that has developed to help illicit drug users to subvert drug tests. These products that help drug users avoid detection exact enormous costs on businesses, threaten safety in the workplace, and should be declared illegal. I am hopeful that Congress will work quickly to move this bill forward, said Whitfield.

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