Fentanyl is No Longer a Fringe Issue
Most people understand that fentanyl is a serious safety and public health threat. But as employers, we tend to hold on to the belief that it doesn’t reach us at work—especially those of us with a drug testing program in place.
That assumption deserves a second look.
Recent trends suggest a materially higher probability of fentanyl exposure in your applicant and employee pool.
Not hypothetically. Statistically.
Workplace testing data is shifting.
For the first time, the Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index™ (DTI)—one of the longest-running national reports on drug use patterns among the American workforce—elevated fentanyl into its primary comparison charts.
It didn’t enter quietly.
Since 2020, fentanyl has ranked among the top three most positive drugs, behind only marijuana and amphetamines (excluding 2022).¹
Fentanyl positivity has risen 62% in just the last three years.¹
That’s a meaningful shift.
Fentanyl positives are no longer an anomaly. They are moving into the mainstream.
Fentanyl exposure isn’t always obvious.
Since 2021, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has repeatedly warned about how illicit fentanyl is distributed in the drug supply.
Most commonly:
- It is secretly added to other illicit drugs (cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine)², increasing potency and overdose risk.³
- It is pressed into counterfeit tablets of commonly misused prescription drugs (ADHD and anxiety medications, prescription opiates) and sold in imitation.⁴
Workplace testing data reinforces this pattern of overlap:
Last year, 60% of fentanyl-positive specimens were also positive for other drugs.¹
22% were also positive for marijuana—a rate that has doubled since 2020.¹
Taken together, this suggests a person may not intentionally seek out fentanyl and yet still be exposed to it.
The risk environment has changed.
The attitude toward drug use has shifted over the last decade.
- Marijuana legalization has expanded.
- Prescription stimulants are widely used for focus and performance.
- For many, recreational drug use is more normalized.
At the same time, the substances many perceive as “lower-risk” are the ones most frequently affected by fentanyl contamination.
That overlap matters.
It means the danger reaches broad, mainstream substance use patterns across regions and industries.
And unlike other drugs, fentanyl leaves little room for error.
In safety-sensitive environments, the risks are obvious.
But even in offices, warehouses, and retail settings, fentanyl introduces risks employers can’t afford to ignore—medical emergencies, crisis management, liability exposure, reputational damage, and more.
If you’re not testing for it, you won’t see it.
Regardless of your approach to drug testing—whether you test broadly, only where required, or don’t test at all—the principal is the same:
If fentanyl isn’t on your testing panel, it can’t be detected.
What can’t be detected can’t be managed.
- You can’t catch it through Reasonable Suspicion testing.
- You can’t see its impact on post-accident results.
- You can’t protect against it in follow-up or Return-to-Duty programs.
Most standard drug panels still do not include fentanyl.
As the stakes continue to rise, that blind spot becomes harder to ignore.
And if you need one final signal:
The federal government is adding fentanyl to its authorized testing panel. That kind of kind of investment isn’t made lightly. It reflects an acknowledgement that fentanyl is no longer a fringe concern, but a material safety risk to the workplace.
Not sure if you’re testing for fentanyl?
TEAM can help you confirm what your current panel includes and walk through your options, so you can make an informed decision that’s best for your organization.
---
Sources:
1. Quest Diagnostics. (2025). Drug Testing Index and Industry Insights: 2025 Annual Report and Industry Insights. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated. https://drugtest.questdiagnostics.com/DrugTestingIndex
2. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2024b, May). Fentanyl Drug Fact Sheet. DEA. https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl
3. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2024a). 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment (DEA-DCT-DIR-010-24). https://www.dea.gov/documents/2024/2024-05/2024-05-24/national-drug-threat-assessment-2024
4. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2024c, May). One Pill Can Kill. DEA. https://www.dea.gov/onepill
