ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

December 14, 1999 10:22 AM, EST

Truck drivers and other transportation workers will find it harder to cheat on drug and alcohol tests if a new Department of Transportation proposal takes effect.

	"TT file photo
	The proposed rule would change how labs handle adulterated and substituted urine specimens.

DOT has taken aim at the expanding use of chemical adulterants to mask drug or alcohol use, which authorities say may call into question the integrity of drug exams.

The proposal, published Dec. 9 in the Federal Register, would change how laboratories and medical review officers handle adulterated and substituted urine specimens. Laboratories would be directed to test all specimens for adulterants and attempts at substitution and report specimens found to have been tampered with to the employer as a refusal to test.

DOT will use the next four months to collect public comments on the proposed rule, which is unlikely to be finalized before the end of next year.

For the full story, see the Dec. 13 print edition of Transport Topics. .