A 7-year study of workplace drug testing in two major cities in Türkiye

Workplace Drug Testing (WDT) is a worldwide practice that is crucial in anti-drug efforts. This study aimed to provide compherensive information about the WDT applications in Türkiye with data obtained from two major cities in two different regions of Türkiye.

The retrospective assessment of forensic toxicological analysis results in urine, hair or urine&hair samples collected from 220 WDT cases in İzmir (3^rd largest city) and Adana (5^th largest city) from 2016 to 2022 years was carried. The screening and confirmation analysis were performed with immunoassay and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), respectively.

Cases with a positive result from one of urine or hair tests were accepted as positive. 20.5% (n = 45) of the cases were detected positive, and most applicants were identified as drivers (84.4%, n = 38). Urine samples of 23.5% (n = 52) were screened by immunoassay, and THC (n = 1) and opiate (n = 1) were detected. In the LC-MS/MS analysis, benzodiazepines were detected most in urine as a single substance, while cannabinoids and codeine were detected in the hair. Multidrug combinations used in treatment were detected in urine and hair. It was detected both alone and among the substances accompanying cannabinoids and amphetamines.

This study presents 7-year WDT results of two different major cities in Türkiye. The method of WDT application differs across the country so a standard procedure should be performed. In our country, where zero tolerance against substance use is adopted, the detection of illegal and controlled substances in cases clearly shows that WDT practice should be routinized.