The pandemic has led to employees using drugs more, especially painkillers and opiates, a drug testing firm has warned.
Drug, alcohol, and Covid-19 testing provider AlphaBiolabs has said its workplace testing data, comparing 2019 with 2021, has suggested the number of drug tests returning positive rose by 54%.
Among those drugs showing up in positive tests, the presence of opiates more than doubled.
While AlphaBiolabs cautioned this could be attributed to an increase in prescribed painkillers, it said it could not rule out the possibility of a rise in painkiller misuse since the pandemic began.
Cocaine saw the second biggest rise, with positive cases up by 37%, followed by cannabis, which was up by 30%.
Rachel Davenport, director at AlphaBiolabs, said the findings emphasised the importance of workplace drug testing.
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“While many workplaces already have a drug and alcohol policy in place, an unfortunate consequence of the lockdowns and a rise in working from home is that a lot of people are not being tested and have instead been left to their own devices,” she said.
“Although we can’t say whether these individuals are using drugs recreationally, to alleviate pain, or whether they were already struggling with addiction prior to the pandemic, this shocking rise in the number of positive cases demonstrates the importance of workplace drug testing.
“Such policies are crucial for safeguarding employees – especially those in safety critical roles – and enabling businesses to provide the proper support they need,” Davenport added.
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The successive lockdowns of the past two years saw an increase in people drinking, taking less exercise, being more sedentary and eating less healthily, with anxiety, stress and isolation often being compounded by home working and furlough.
The fact record numbers of people are sitting on NHS waiting lists for elective treatments or surgery, often potentially in pain, or less able to access GP appointments may also be a factor behind increased use of painkillers and other drugs.
