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For the first time in years, one part of the annual workplace drug testing data moved in the right direction. Fentanyl positivity among American workers fell by nearly half in 2025. Numbers dropped from 0.55% of tests in 2024 to 0.28% in 2025. The decline is real, but the same dataset shows the broader picture …
Fewer Workers Tested Positive for Fentanyl in 2025
Written By Eric Owens
Whether it's writing articles or making YouTube videos, Eric has a passion for content creation. He appreciates the power of storytelling to inform an audience about the information they need to know, particularly those seeking support and information on mental health and substance use issues. In addition to writing, he also spends his time traveling and discovering new restaurants to enjoy a meal.
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For the first time in years, one part of the annual workplace drug testing data moved in the right direction. Fentanyl positivity among American workers fell by nearly half in 2025. Numbers dropped from 0.55% of tests in 2024 to 0.28% in 2025.
The decline is real, but the same dataset shows the broader picture is still grim.
The Other Numbers
Overall, nearly one in five U.S. workers tested positive for some drug in 2025, roughly a 46% increase compared with 2021. Marijuana led by far, making up more than 53% of all positives. In part, this is due to expanding state legalization and slower corporate policy changes. Positivity for cocaine, methamphetamine and amphetamines also climbed.
Quest attributed the fentanyl drop partly to employer action like expanded testing, education and deterrence strategies as fentanyl continues to grip headlines. Indeed, opioids still account for 44,564 deaths in 2025, down from nearly 70,000 in 2024 but still the leading overdose driver in the country.
The Labor Dept. Agrees
The numbers explain new guidelines from the Department of Labor to instruct businesses to prepare for and respond to opioid overdoses at work. The first check is to keep opioid reversal medication like naloxone accessible at all business sites.
That instruction marks a real shift for offices, warehouses, restaurants and job sites. Some cities like San Francisco have started making progress to fight overdose at the workplace door and a workforce where nearly 20% test positive for some substance is a workforce where readiness saves lives.
The Larger Picture
Data stories like this one can slide into stigma if read carelessly. Falling positivity doesn’t mean people with opioid addiction disappeared. Rather, a combination of deterrence, treatment and reduced use is at work simultaneously. The 44,564 opioid deaths in 2025 say the crisis is far from over.
Remember that testing programs can push people toward treatment rather than punishment. But workplaces have responded by stocking naloxone and responding medically rather than punitively.
Harm Reduction & Treatment
In short, some key takeaways for future action:
- Naloxone reverses opioid overdose and is available free in most communities
- Fentanyl test strips detect fentanyl in other substances
- Medications for opioid use disorder remain very effective treatment for fentanyl addiction
- Narcotics Anonymous meetings offer free peer support across the country.
A 49% decline in workplace fentanyl positivity is the kind of statistic that deserves a headline. The 44,564 deaths in the same year are too many deaths.
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