MUCH ATTENTION HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THE USE OF ILLICIT DRUGS BY PEOPLE FROM ALL FACETS OF LIFE.

MUCH ATTENTION HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THE USE OF ILLICIT DRUGS BY PEOPLE FROM ALL FACETS OF LIFE. ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR DRUGS NOW USED IN SOCIETY IS COCAINE. THE DRUG IS BEING USED BY PEOPLE FROM ALL SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY, INCLUDING BLUE-AND WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS, MILITARY PERSONNEL, PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, AND EVEN SCHOOL CHILDREN. AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM, MANY COMPANIES, INCLUDING THE U.S. MILITARY, ARE BEGINNING TO DEMAND THAT EMPLOYEES SUSPECTED OF DRUG USE UNDERGO DRUG TESTING. A VARIETY OF METHODS IS AVAILABLE FORTHE SPECIFIC AND SENSITIVE DETERMINATION OF COCAINE AND ITS MAJOR METABOLITES IN BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS. MOST OF THE AVAIL- ABLE ASSAYS (I.E., HPLC, GC-MS) REQUIRE EXTENSIVE EQUIPMENT AND TRAINED PERSONNEL AND ARE SLOW IN DETERMINING WHETHER COCAINE HAS BEEN CONSUMED. BIOMETRIC WILL DEVELOP AN ENZYMEIMMUNOASSAY (EIA) THAT WILL BE USEFUL FOR THE DETECTION OF LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF COCAINE IN SALIVA. THIS ASSAY MAY ALSO BE ADAPTABLE FOR THE DETECTION OF OTHER ILLICIT DRUGS. THE ASSAY IS SIMPLE, FAST (LESS THAN 5 MINUTES), NONINSTRU- MENTAL, AND THUS EASILY PORTABLE FOR USE IN THE WORK PLACE.