The Starke County Commissioners contracted with a Kalamazoo, Michigan firm to provide drug testing of County employees. Forensic Fluids Laboratories will test all new employees and 10% of randomly selected current employees. The testing will be done with a swab of oral fluids instead of urine specimens.
Deidre Cunningham, a representative of the company, said the testing is 100% accurate.
“An oral sample equates to a blood sample and a lot of people are surprised to hear that,” said Cunningham. “Your mouth resalivates all day long through the oral glands in your oral cavity and they way it resalivates is by the blood stream mixing with the oral fluids; saliva and other fluids. By testing either blood or oral fluid, you’re getting the same information. Isn’t it wonderful to think that you can get the same information from a blood test without the needle poke or the higher price point?”
Cunningham said she is confident that most employees would feel safer knowing fellow workers are drug free.
“I think that most people would agree that they want to work in a drug free work environment. It makes the company more profitable and that’s good for employees and it’s a protection for employees on the job. We’re finalizing some paperwork today and we expect to being immediately.”
