Signals Report Vol. 7.1

Cannabis Use Detection, Concentrations Rise Among Young People; Gender Gap in Cannabis Use Narrows

Data from clinical drug testing laboratory Millennium Health reveal worrisome trends among patients who have a substance use disorder

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – October 13, 2025 – Cannabis use has become more common among patients with a substance use disorder (SUD) and the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) detected in urine have increased across all age groups since 2019. Read More

JAMA Network Open Study

Urine Drug Testing Data Can Provide Timely Estimates of Overdose Death, JAMA Network Open Study Shows

Millennium Health, Ohio State University researchers say drug test data could “close the gap” in the timeliness of reporting overdose mortality

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – June 9, 2025 – The availability of overdose mortality data generally lags by up to 6 months, hindering public health efforts to address the crisis in the present. A study published in JAMA Network Open, co-authored by researchers at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Millennium Health (MH), demonstrates that aggregated urine drug testing data can be used to estimate timely overdose death trends, presenting an opportunity to “close the gap” in reporting recent overdose mortality trends. Read More

Signals Report Vol. 7

Fentanyl Use Declines in 2024 but People Who Use Fentanyl are Increasingly Using Heroin, Methamphetamine

Millennium Health Signals Report™ highlights the continued evolution of polysubstance use

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – February 11, 2025 – The latest Signals Report from Millennium Health highlights that fentanyl detection in urine drug tests has fallen more than 12% from its 2022 peak but fentanyl-associated polysubstance use remains a significant and constantly evolving threat.Read More

JAMA Network Open Study

New Study Reveals Unprecedented Increases in Fentanyl and Stimulant Concentrations in Urine Drug Test Results

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – October 24, 2024 – A study published in JAMA Network Open, led by Andrew Huhn, PhD, MBA, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Kelly Dunn, PhD, MBA, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and co-authored by Millennium Health researchers, illustrates striking increases in the amounts of illicit fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine detected in urine drug testing (UDT) specimens since 2013. The analysis showed that the concentrations of fentanyl and methamphetamine were 8.3 and 5.2 times higher, respectively, in 2023 compared to 2013 (Figure). Cocaine concentrations also doubled across this time period, whereas those for heroin fell by more than half.Read More

UnitedHealthcare Preferred Lab Network

Millennium Health Selected for the UnitedHealthcare Preferred Lab Network

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – September 27, 2024 – Millennium Health is pleased to announce that for the fifth year in a row, we have been chosen to be a part of the UnitedHealthcare Preferred Lab Network (PLN).Read More

Carfentanil Extends Deadly Reach

Millennium Health Signals Alert™ Shows Carfentanil Extends Deadly Reach

New report identifies concerning uptick in detections of the lethal fentanyl analogue across the U.S. since reemerging in 2023

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – September 24, 2024 – Carfentanil was detected 134 times in urine drug test (UDT) results in 21 states from July 2023 to June 2024 (see Map) compared to only 11 times in six states during the preceding three years.Read More

Signals Alert: Xylazine

Xylazine Spreads West According to New Millennium Health Signals Alert™

Urine drug test (UDT) data indicate significant uptick in xylazine use in the West, remains deeply entrenched in the East

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – July 16, 2024 – According to the Millennium Health Signals Alert released today, xylazine use among those who use fentanyl grew substantially in the West in the year after the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) designated fentanyl adulterated with xylazine an emerging threat. At the same time, xylazine use also grew in New England, further tightening its grip on the Eastern U.S. where rates of use are approximately double the national rate of 15.6%.Read More

Signals Alert: Alcohol

Millennium Health Signals Alert™ Shows Pandemic-Era Increases in Alcohol Use Persist Among At-Risk Patients

Urine drug testing data reveal alarming, sustained increases in alcohol use among those with alcohol use disorder; may push higher as summer peak approaches

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – May 21, 2024 – Alcohol use increased across the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic but a new Millennium Health Signals Alert™ shows that it increased most dramatically among those with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and has remained elevated; up more than 20% nationally since 2019. Read More

Methamphetamine Use in Arizona

Methamphetamine Use in Arizona Reaches All-Time High in People Who Use Fentanyl, Adding Fuel to the Fentanyl Crisis

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – April 3, 2024 – Coming off the heels of the recent $850 million in funding secured to prevent fentanyl from entering Arizona as the state continues to grapple with this ongoing crisis, a dangerous trend in the co-use of methamphetamine has emerged that may significantly impact an already challenging situation. Read More