AVITAR, INC.'s Oral Fluid-Based Drug Test, ORALscreen™ 4, rapidly detects club drug "Ecstasy".

April 25, 2000

CANTON, MA—APRIL 25, 2000—Observing reports of rising abuse of "club drugs," Avitar, Inc. (AMEX:AVR) feels it is important to emphasize that its ORALscreen 4 (TCOM) includes the detection of MDMA, also known on the street as Ecstasy, E, and XTC. ORALscreen 4 is the first US patent-protected point-of-contact technology that captures oral fluid to screen positive presence of marijuana (THC), cocaine, opiates and methamphetamine.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1.4 million Americans between the ages of 18-25 are among the heaviest users of "club drugs."¹ MDMA, known as Ecstasy, is a methamphetamine that can increase heart rate and body temperature to hazardous levels. Young adults use the synthetic, mind-altering drug while reveling at bars, nightclubs, rock shows and raves, and often dangerously mix their use with alcohol consumption.

"Testing for ‘club drugs’ has never been easier. When we added Methamphetamine to the ORALscreen panel, we gained the ability to test for major drugs of abuse that account for over 96% of all positive test results," said Peter P. Phildius, Avitar’s Chairman and CEO. "ORALscreen 4 detects Ecstasy, in an on-site, rapid, oral fluid drug test. As growing numbers of our nation’s working adults regularly abuse ‘club drugs,’ drug-testing programs now have a more convenient alternative with ORALscreen 4."

Avitar, Inc. (AMEX:AVR) headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts, develops, manufactures and markets innovative medical devices based on core technologies in oral fluid diagnostics and customized polyurethane applications. The Company markets a unique portfolio of substance abuse testing products and services that include ORALscreen, the world’s first rapid point-of-contact oral fluid test for drugs of abuse, HAIRscreen^TM, a laboratory-based test for long term drug abuse using hair, and several other specialized tests for drugs of abuse. Avitar also markets an oral fluid collection system for DNA testing as well as a proprietary line of polyurethane-based high tech medical devices. For more information, see Avitar’s website at avitarinc.com .

This release forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the development and marketing of new applications and other risks that are detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.