Drug and Alcohol Screening Market Report 2025

The drug and alcohol screening market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $8.27 billion in 2024 to $9.54 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.3%. The growth during the historical period can be attributed to heightened awareness of workplace safety, increased demand for government-mandated drug testing, growing concerns about public safety, the expansion of substance abuse treatment programs, wider adoption in criminal justice systems, and a rise in alcohol-related traffic incidents.

The drug and alcohol screening market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $16.69 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%. The growth during the forecast period can be attributed to the rising use of narcotics among youth, increasing adoption of on-site testing solutions, expanding workplace compliance requirements, growing demand for employment drug screening, the expansion of healthcare screening programs, and greater emphasis on school-based drug testing. Key trends in the forecast period include technological advancements in rapid testing kits, innovations in multi-panel drug testing devices, research and development in biosensors, increased investment in portable screening technologies, and progress in laboratory automation and robotic systems.

The rising use of narcotics and illegal drugs is expected to drive the growth of the drug and alcohol screening market in the coming years. Narcotics and illegal drugs are substances that affect the central nervous system, often used for pain relief or mind-altering effects. Their usage is increasing as more individuals turn to substances to cope with rising mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and trauma. Drug and alcohol screening helps address this trend by enabling early detection, ensuring safety, and supporting timely interventions in workplaces, healthcare, and legal settings. For example, in November 2023, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a US-based branch of the Department of Health and Human Services, reported that approximately 70 million Americans aged 12 or older, about 25% of the population, used illicit substances in 2022, reflecting an increase of roughly 15% from 2021. Therefore, the growing use of narcotics and illegal drugs is propelling the drug and alcohol screening market.

Leading companies in the drug and alcohol screening market are developing advanced solutions, such as wearable alcohol detection software, to improve the accuracy, speed, and reliability of screening procedures. Alcohol detection software is a digital tool that processes and manages data from alcohol testing devices, enabling real-time monitoring, automated reporting, and enhanced compliance in safety-critical environments. For instance, in October 2024, Sobrsafe Inc., a US-based behavioral health safety company, launched a fully integrated enterprise software platform for alcohol detection and monitoring. The system combines two key products, SOBRcheck for point-of-care screening and SOBRsure for continuous monitoring, using advanced touch-based transdermal alcohol detection, eliminating the need for invasive breath, blood, or urine tests. The platform provides real-time visibility across multiple users and locations through a unified dashboard accessible on computers and mobile devices, integrating seamlessly with electronic medical records (EMR).

In May 2024, eMed LLC, a US-based healthcare technology company specializing in at-home and virtual diagnostics, partnered with i3screen to launch a virtual drug screening program for employers. This initiative provides employers with a convenient, fully remote, and instant oral drug screening solution, streamlining pre-employment testing, enabling faster hiring decisions, and maintaining test integrity and compliance. i3screen is a US-based company specializing in screening management systems, including drug and alcohol testing solutions.

Major players in the drug and alcohol screening market are Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Siemens Healthineers AG, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Agilent Technologies Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Randox Laboratories Ltd., OraSure Technologies Inc., MEDTOX Laboratories Inc., Psychemedics Corporation, SureHire Inc., Alcohol Countermeasure Systems Corp., Phamatech Inc., Premier Biotech Inc., Alfa Scientific Designs Inc., Omega Laboratories Inc., Lifeloc Technologies Inc., Smartox Biotechnology SAS, Millennium Health LLC, Aegis Sciences Corporation, Cordant Health Solutions Inc., and Intoximeters Inc.

North America was the largest region in the drug and alcohol screening market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in drug and alcohol screening market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the drug and alcohol screening market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The sudden escalation of U.S. tariffs and the consequent trade frictions in spring 2025 are severely impacting the healthcare sector, particularly in the supply of critical medical devices, diagnostic equipment, and pharmaceuticals. Hospitals and healthcare providers are facing higher costs for imported surgical instruments, imaging equipment, and consumables such as syringes and catheters, many of which have limited domestic alternatives. These increased costs are straining healthcare budgets, leading some providers to delay equipment upgrades or pass on expenses to patients. Additionally, tariffs on raw materials and components are disrupting the production of essential drugs and devices, causing supply chain bottlenecks. In response, the industry is diversifying sourcing strategies, boosting local manufacturing where possible, and advocating for tariff exemptions on life-saving medical products.

Drug and alcohol screening is a structured process designed to identify and quantify the presence of drugs or alcohol in an individual’s system using scientifically validated testing techniques. This procedure is essential for ensuring safety, maintaining compliance with regulatory standards, and supporting informed decision-making in various personal, professional, and legal contexts.

The primary types of samples used in drug and alcohol screening include urine, oral fluid, hair, and other specimens. Urine samples are one of the most commonly collected biological specimens, used to detect drugs, alcohol, or their metabolites. This method is non-invasive, cost-effective, and particularly effective for detecting recent substance use. Urine testing finds applications in workplaces, criminal justice and law enforcement systems, drug treatment programs, pain management clinics, and testing laboratories. It serves a wide range of end users, including hospitals, treatment centers, law enforcement agencies, sports organizations, and others.

The drug and alcohol screening market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides drug and alcohol screening market statistics, including drug and alcohol screening industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a drug and alcohol screening market share, detailed drug and alcohol screening market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the drug and alcohol screening industry. This drug and alcohol screening market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The drug and alcohol screening market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services, such as pre-employment screening, random testing, reasonable suspicion testing, rehabilitation and monitoring programs, and follow-up testing. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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