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Effect of pre-enlistment testing on the confirmed drug-positive rate for Navy recruits
R W Romberg1, S B Needleman, M Porvaznik
1Navy Drug Screening Laboratory, Great Lakes, IL 60088.
Abstract:
In June 1988, the armed forces of the United States began testing prospective candidates for military service for alcohol, marijuana metabolite (THC-COOH), and cocaine metabolite (benzoylecgonine) through the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) program. Comparison of the confirmed positive drug rates for pre-inductees into the Navy during the MEPS program testing period with the confirmed drug-positive rates for 5 years before and 1 year after MEPS testing showed a decrease in the confirmed positive rate for THC-COOH and an apparent initial decrease for cocaine metabolite as a result of MEPS testing. The overall results for cocaine seem to be overshadowed by other demographic factors operating in the population tested.