As many as one million employees in the UK are found to be having drugs in their system, according to a new report on narcotic use.

The study by drug and alcohol screening firm Concateno found that one in 30 employees tested previous year had drugs in their systems. It was found that drug usage rose 43 per cent from 2007 from 2.26 per cent to 3.23 per cent of the total workforce of the UK in 2011.

It was revealed that the age group of above 25 was most likely to be tested positive for Class A drugs such as cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and methadone instead of younger workers as widely believed. Concateno studied drug tests carried out by 856 UK employers in various including logistics, haulage, policing, utilities, retail, occupational health, manufacturing, construction, commerce, and healthcare to arrive at the findings.

Dr Claire George, Concateno's laboratory director said, "These are conservative figures across the workplace, when you consider how many companies do not have a screening programme in place. Concateno has seen an increase in the number of businesses seeking assistance with drug and alcohol screening programmes, in order to identify, deter and reduce the risks associated with drug use in the workplace."

She also said that the employers should collect data on drug use as it could help alert employers to a variety of problems.