Wipes detect drug use by employees

[chillinwill]

From: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ne...c-cfec5ff100a2

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SPRING HILL, Fla. -- John Consoli wants to get rid of drugs in the workplace, one telephone handset at a time.

Consoli, 67, is the president of On Site, a Spring Hill, Fla., company marketing DrugWipe, a handheld narcotic detector.

Just swipe the DrugWipe against a keyboard or any other surface, Consoli said, and the toothbrush-sized detector can tell whether anyone who has touched the surface in the past 72 hours had drugs in his or her system.

"It is 100-per-cent accurate," Consoli said. "It is the only product that I know of that is defensible in court."

The technology comes from Europe, where law enforcement tested suspected "drugged drivers." DrugWipe also has been used in the United States by the FBI, DEA and Customs Service, Consoli said.

Now, he wants to bring it to the private sector. The device tests for cocaine, cannabis, methamphetamine and opiates. Because the drugs travel from the user's glands and are deposited on the surface, there's almost no way to fool the test.

"It's in your system. If you've done drugs, it's in your glands," Consoli said. "How do you adulterate your sweat?" Pinning down a corporation that used DrugWipe was difficult. Since Consoli is just starting out, he hasn't actually had any clients.

A DrugWipe kit costs about $50 and can be used to check 10 to 15 surfaces. Testers must be trained and certified. Training takes a half-day and costs $500. Companies can also hire an On Site professional to test workplace surfaces; prices vary.