NFLIS-TOX

NFLIS-Tox Toxicology Laboratories

204 Toxicology Laboratories participated in the most recent 2021 NFLIS-Tox Survey.

Quantitative Analysis Frequency Reported as "Routinely" by Toxicology Laboratories, 2021 NFLIS-Tox Survey

Amphetamines:87.6%

Ethanol:86.3%

Opiates/opioids (other than heroin and fentanyl):85.9%

Cocaine:85.4%

Marijuana/THC:81.5%

Benzodiazepines:81.3%

Fentanyl:78.4%

Heroin:75.8%

Phencyclidine (PCP):67.6%

Carisoprodol:66.5%

Buprenorphine:64.4%

Z-drugs (e.g., zolpidem, zopiclone):63.7%

Barbiturates:61.5%

Antidepressants:59.2%

Muscle relaxants:56.9%

Ketamine:51.8%

Gabapentin:50.9%

Antipsychotics:47.6%

Anticonvulsants:45.2%

Fentanyl-related compounds (e.g., acetyl fentanyl):38.1%

Inhalants/volatiles:31.6%

Over-the-counter medications (e.g., guafenesin, ibuprofen):26.3%

Synthetic cathinones (e.g., bath salts):19.7%

Synthetic cannabinoids:17.8%

Piperazines (e.g., BZP, TFMPP):12.8%

Phenethylamines (e.g., 2-Cl, 25I-NBOMe):10.7%

NFLIS-Tox Recruitment 90 Total participants (9/27/2023) 70 Public toxicology laboratories (9/27/2023) 20 Private toxicology laboratories (9/27/2023)

During calendar year 2019, slightly more than

28 million

toxicology requests were referred to responding Toxicology Laboratories (TLs).

56% responding laboratories performed human performance testing, 45% performed postmortem testing, and 41% performed clinical drug testing.

IN 2019, TLs REPORTED "ROUTINELY" CONDUCTING QUALITATVE TOXICOLOGY TESTING FOR THE FOLLOWING DRUGS OR DRUG CLASSES 50% OR MORE OF THE TIME:

Amphetamines
Antidepressants
Barbiturates
Benzodiazepines
Buprenorphine
Carisoprodol
Cocaine
Ethanol
Fentanyl
Heroin
Marijuana/THC
Muscle
relaxants
Opiates and opioids (other than heroin and fentanyl)
Phencyclidine(PCP)
Z-drugs (e.g., zolpidem)

In 2018, DEA expanded the NFLIS program to include two additional continuous drug surveillance components that collect drug-related mortality data from medical examiner and coroner offices (NFLIS-MEC) and drug testing results from toxicology laboratories (NFLIS-Tox) to supplement and complement the current NFLIS-Drug data from drug cases submitted to and analyzed by the Nation's forensic laboratories.

Toxicology laboratories are a vital source for identifying drugs used by the public. Data from toxicology laboratories that are participating can serve as an early warning system to alert the public health community and law enforcement of the drugs they may encounter, leading to improved treatment, prevention, and enforcement policies. The addition of toxicology data to NFLIS is vital for helping DEA improve drug scheduling, enhance available drug intelligence, and better engage their public health partners.

Recruitment for NFLIS-Tox laboratories is underway with close to 100 private and public toxicology laboratories participating. If your laboratory would like to participate in NFLIS-Tox, review the NFLIS-Tox recruitment flyer and DEA's FAQs document to determine your entity's eligibility to participate in NFLIS and to review other information about each NFLIS component and the next steps for participation. If you have any questions or would like to participate in NFLIS-Tox, please contact the NFLIS team at NFLIS@dea.gov.

Although NFLIS does not expect to be able to publish NFLIS Tox data in the immediate future, NFLIS has the results of the 2017 NFLIS-Tox Survey and 2021 NFLIS-Tox Survey.

NFLIS Publications Participate in NFLIS