Over 2,000 urine tests in the Finnish Defence Forces from 2002 to 2005 found only one positive result for illicit drugs, suggesting extremely low drug use in this military population.
Read this if you're interested in workplace drug testing policies and whether they achieve their stated goals.
1 positive result for illicit drugs out of 2,000+ military urine tests
What the researchers found
The Finnish Defence Forces conducted a drug testing program from 2002 to 2005, testing soldiers, civilian personnel, and military students. Testing occurred during application/enrollment and through annual random testing of 5% of personnel.
Over 2,000 urine samples were analyzed for cannabis, opiates, amphetamines, and cocaine. Only one person, a civilian job applicant, tested positive for amphetamine and cannabis. Seven other samples showed codeine and morphine, all attributed to prescribed medications rather than drug abuse.
The program encountered no significant operational difficulties. The authors attributed the extremely low positive rate partly to the military's broader anti-drug strategy, of which testing was one component. They noted the program's financial costs and called for controlled studies to determine whether testing programs actually improve workplace safety.
Why it matters
This study provided data on the actual yield of workplace drug testing in a military setting, finding that the rate of illicit drug use was extremely low. This raises questions about the cost-effectiveness of broad testing programs when baseline prevalence is already very low.
The numbers in context
Over 2,000 urine samples tested from 2002-2005. 1 positive for illicit drugs (amphetamine and cannabis). 7 positives for prescription opioids (not abuse). 5% of personnel randomly tested annually.
How the study worked
Cross-sectional analysis of a workplace drug testing program. Over 2,000 urine samples collected from 2002-2005 were analyzed in an accredited laboratory for cannabis, opiates, amphetamines, and cocaine. Results were compiled alongside operational and financial data from the program.
What this study cannot tell us
The study describes one military in one country with generally low drug use rates, limiting generalizability. The deterrent effect of the testing program itself may explain the low positive rate, making it impossible to know what the rate would be without testing. No control group existed.
How to read the evidence
This is a descriptive report of a workplace testing program without a control group, providing limited evidence about the program's effectiveness.
When this study was published
Published in 2007. Workplace drug testing policies and cannabis legalization have evolved substantially since then, changing the context for these findings.
The bigger picture
The study raised the broader question of whether workplace drug testing serves primarily as a deterrent or as a detection tool, and whether its costs are justified when positive rates are near zero. This question remains debated in both military and civilian workplace contexts.
Questions still open
- Would positive rates change if testing were discontinued, suggesting a deterrent effect? Is the cost of testing over 2,000 samples justified by finding one positive result?
Common questions
Does this mean drug testing works?
Was cannabis the main concern?
Read the original research
Workplace drug testing in a military organization: results and experiences from the testing program in the Finnish Defence Forces.
Forensic science international, 170(2-3), 171-4
Citation
Meririnne, Esa; Mykkänen, Sirpa; Lillsunde, Pirjo; Kuoppasalmi, Kimmo; Lerssi, Risto; Laaksonen, Ilmo; Lehtomäki, Kyösti; Henriksson, Markus. (2007). Workplace drug testing in a military organization: results and experiences from the testing program in the Finnish Defence Forces.. Forensic science international, 170(2-3), 171-4.