of positives because of its lengthier detection window of repetitive use. Hair drug testing requires only a small


sample of hair that is collected under direct supervision by a collector. Te trained collector cuts approximately 100 to 120 strands of hair from the crown of an individual’s head as close to the scalp as possible. Hair can be collected from several locations on the head and combined to obtain the required amount of hair. If head hair is not available, certain body hair can be used as an alternative. Additionally, the risk of an individual cheating or tampering with a hair test is minimized because the collection is observed. Brazilian Federal Law No. 13.103 was


passed in 2015 and enacted on March 2, 2016. “Since that time, more than 3 million exams have been performed and licenses of more than 30% professional drivers who refused to take a drug test were not renewed. Accidents involving trucks have decreased 38% in the first six months that the drug testing requirement was in place” said Beny Adler, Vice President of Labet, a drug testing service provider headquartered in Rio de Janeiro.


Brazil’s Most Commonly- Detected Drug South America has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the world’s top producers of cocaine. In the 1990s, São Paulo was the first city in Brazil to report a crack cocaine problem in an impoverished district called Cracolândia. Data published in the Addictive Behaviors Journal reported that 4.7% of the people living in this area have used cocaine at least once in their lifetime (7.4% of men and 2.1% of women). Additionally, it is estimated that 45% of Brazilians tried cocaine before the age of 18. Tat said, young adults and men are the most likely to use cocaine. Te United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s World Drug Report cited


www.datia.org datia focus 41


that cocaine use continues to increase in the country. Data indicated that Brazil accounted for 7% of the total cocaine seized in South America, with its neighbor, Colombia, holding the top spot at 56%. Research about drugs and drug


trafficking in Brazil by Dr. Paula Miraglia, public sector specialist at the University of São Paolo, and international consultant, echoed these findings. She concluded that the prevalence of cocaine use by the general population has doubled from 2005 to 2012, rising from 0.7% to 1.75%. That level of cocaine use equates to four times the worldwide average (0.37%). Dr. Miraglia attributes the significant uptick in drug consumption to factors such as an increase in affluence and disposable income, a greater flow of cocaine into the country, and a long coastline for drug trafficking. Not surprisingly, cocaine ranked as the most commonly detected drug in tests of Brazilian professional drivers


renewing their licenses from April 2016 to February 2017, according to analysis by Quest Diagnostics. Early findings showed that approximately 70% of positive drug tests were due to cocaine. Although many truckers prefer amphetamines, they turn to cocaine as a more affordable and accessible drug, according to findings from Contran. “In Brazil, cocaine use is widespread,


and the country’s substance abuse issues are more ‘occupational’ in nature. Brazilian professional drivers use cocaine as a stimulant to boost alertness, endurance, productivity, and motivation on the job,” said Barry Sample, Ph.D., senior director of science and technology at Quest Diagnostics’ Employer Solutions. A journalist for Congresso em Foco


estimated that 2.4 million hair tests will be performed annually among the country’s 13 million professional drivers. Because of this extraordinary volume, Contran has partnered with American laboratories to screen and confirm its hair drug tests until


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