Hair Testing | the Next Wave By David Ross The 60s may be turning into the 90s, but at least one fashion may not return: long hair. The latest weapon in the Drug War is hair analysis. Psychemedics Corp. of Santa Monica, California, has mounted a massive media and advertising campaign hoping to have their patented RadioImmunoAssay of Hair (RIAH, or "HAIR" backwards) become a "complementary test to urinalysis." News "stories," magazine articles and even editorial columns (William F. Buckley, Jr., for example) have touted the praises of this new "weapon" to ensure a "genuinely drug-free workplace." RIAH is the brainchild of Annette and Werner Baumgartner, whose Ianus Foundation project was funded by the Veterans Administration, the U.S. Navy, the FBI, the American Society for Industrial Security and the National Institute of Justice. How Hair Testing Works Now that they are ready to market their product/service, the Baumgartner's have formed Psychemedics Corp. Their literature calls Psychemedics "the world's first laboratory to offer a cost-effective method for testing hair rather than body fluids for the detection of drugs of abuse." They claim to be "at the leading edge of drug test technology." Psychemedics claims RIAH is based on "a simple scientific principle." Blood, circulating through the body, deposits traces of illegal drugs in the hair follicle. These drug-traces, they claim, become entrapped in the hair in amounts proportional to those ingested. With their process, they claim, a history of a person's drug-taking is mapped out in the hair. The Same Old Lies Werner Baumgartner apparently has more than just financial pride in his project þ his articles and news releases overflow with politicalisms about the scourge of drug abuse, and with suggestions about how using his product to see the "history" of a drug "abuser" can enable company management to make a "decision over whether or not an otherwise qualified candidate. . . is worth the risk of probationary employment." He touts the use of RIAH not only in employment decisions, but also in law-enforcement, medical and insurance situations. Does Hair Testing Work? According to Psychemedics' literature, the test cannot be beaten. Excessive washing of hair only helps them filter out airborne contaminants. Shaving one's head only creates suspicion, and besides, body hair works just as well. The RIAH system, Baumgartner claims, also works with fingernail scrapings. The fine print of their literature, however, points out that "treated hair," i.e., bleached, dyed or permed hair, does create a problem for their test. Psychemedics' media packet also includes a "non-biased" report entitled Quality Assurance Testing of RIAH, prepared by Walsh & Associates, whoever they are. The author, William J. Walsh, certifies that blind tests of Psychemedics laboratory were 100% accurate. Walsh, like Baumgartner, gets passionate in his report, resorting to tired lies such as "light recreational" use of drugs usually leads to hard-core addiction. One quote: "An effective drug-testing program must have the capability of identifying beginning drug abusers." Making A Buck Depending on the number of hair samples you send in to Psychemedics, prices per test range from $28 (the quantity discount, for 2500+ at one time) to $65 (5-24 samples). A curious parenthetical statement appears on their price list: "To include 5% automatically confirmed positive, add $3 per sample." For an additional $25 per sample, Psychemedics will graciously provide what they call "Safety Net" (a registered service mark, no less!). "Safety Net" simply means they'll test the sample the second time if it comes back positive the first time. Their literature also includes a "selected corporate customer list," which includes: American Savings Bank, Anheuser-Busch, Barnett Bank, Blockbusters (the video-rental company), Caesars Tahoe (a casino), Corrections Corp. of America (the private prison people), the Federal Reserve Bank, various auto dealerships, Harrah's (another casino), Home Federal Bank, MGM Grand (yet another casino), Magma Copper Mines, hospitals, supermarkets, Ross Stores (Ross For Less), police departments, Trust Company Bank, ad nauseam. Other blurbs and press releases by Psychemedics indicate their product can spot between 50% and 600% MORE drug users than urine testing. One can only guess that Psychemedics wants to do its part in filling Newt Gingrich's "Western Prison Zone" [see page 3].