The latest report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse indicates a significant decrease in the number of positive tests compared to the previous year.
According to the December 2023 report, the Clearinghouse yielded 61,443 positive tests in 2023 as opposed to 68,639 in 2022.
Although fewer positive drug tests is a good thing, it’s also worth noting that there are some flaws associated with comparing these numbers from year to year. While the Clearinghouse releases the number of positive tests, it does not provide the number of tests that were conducted.
“The positive rate from the conducted tests is the real indicator, which lead to ‘Are a greater percentage of drivers who are tested testing positive?’ That is hard to determine by looking at only the Clearinghouse data,” an FMCSA spokesperson told Land Line in 2022.
It also should be noted that the initial numbers are preliminary. In past years, the total number of positive tests has decreased after it was determined inaccurate reporting or a false positive.
Clearinghouse results
Out of the 61,443 positive tests in 2023, 37,657 of them registered a metabolite for marijuana.
Other drugs that registered positive include cocaine (10,326), methamphetamine (4,515), amphetamine (4,222), oxymorphone (1,094), oxycodone (923), hydrocodone (836), hydromorphone (811), morphine (370), codeine (358), 6-acetylmorphine (116), PCP (90), ecstasy (76) and methylenedioxyamphetamine (49).
Almost all of the categories decreased when compared to 2022.
In 2022, the positive tests included marijuana (40,916), cocaine (10,953), methamphetamine (5,569), amphetamine (5,349), oxymorphone (1,398), oxycodone (1,130), hydrocodone (1,042), hydromorphone (965), morphine (445), codeine (444), 6-acetylmorphine (177), PCP (138), ecstasy (68) and methylenedioxyamphetamine (45).
What is the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?
According to FMCSA, the Clearinghouse is a “secure online database that gives employers, the FMCSA, state driver licensing agencies, and state law enforcement personnel real-time information about commercial driver’s license and commercial learner’s permit holders’ drug and alcohol program violations.” LL
Land Line’s Ryan Witkowski contributed to this report.
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