Avitar Subsidiary Increasing Number of Trained Canines for Explosive and Firearm Detection to Meet Heightened Demand Following Attacks

September 24, 2001

CANTON, Mass., and GAINESVILLE, Texas, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- BJR Security Service, a subsidiary of Avitar, Inc. (Amex: - news), today announced, that it is significantly increasing its number of trained canines specializing in explosive and firearm detection to meet the dramatically heightened demand for security following this month's attacks on America.

The company also announced that all of the schools who use its dogs for detection have exercised their contract options, where necessary, to continue services. BJR services approximately 100 school districts in Texas, which includes hundreds of high schools, middle schools and elementary schools, in searching for explosives and firearms, as well as narcotics.

``Avitar is pleased to put BJR at the forefront of this country's renewed commitment to security as part of our contribution to the national effort to ensure public safety,'' said Peter P. Phildius, Avitar's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. ``Nearly all sectors of the country, from education to corporate to government, recognize the necessity of protection through detection, and our BJR subsidiary has 25 years of experience in providing these services both with its trained canine force, as well as trained security personnel.''

Ron Allen, Vice President of Operations for BJR and Avitar, said, ``We expect to increase the number of explosive and firearm dogs in the field by approximately 30% in the next two weeks, and then double the overall capacity within 60 days. There is an acute shortage of canines trained in the detection of explosives and firearms, and we are maximizing all of our resources and training facilities to meet the growing demand in what has shifted from a deterrent program to a threat-response agenda.''

BJR's Dog Security Detection Program is becoming a leader in an education market estimated at approximately $75 million and also is participating in the additional multi-million dollar opportunities in the corporate and government sectors. The company's current six-acre training facility in Gainesville, Texas, consists of office facilities, kennels, classroom, training building and training fields, and other agreements have been signed for additional housing facilities.

ABOUT AVITAR

Avitar, Inc. (Amex: - news) headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts, is a diagnostics company that develops, manufactures and markets innovative and proprietary medical devices in two major areas: the oral fluid drugs-of-abuse market and the disease & clinical testing market. Oral fluid diagnostics includes both the drugs-of-abuse testing market estimated to be worth $1.5 billion encompassing the corporate workplace and criminal justice markets. Avitar's products include ORALscreen(TM), the world's first non-invasive, rapid, onsite oral fluid test for drugs-of-abuse, and HAIRscreen(TM), a laboratory-based hair test for detecting long-term drug abuse. In the $20 billion disease & clinical testing market, Avitar is currently developing products that will address the conditions of Lyme disease, influenza and diabetes, as well as pregnancy. For more information, see Avitar's website at avitarinc.com.

ABOUT BJR

BJR Security Services is a full-service contraband detection company using a trained force of canines to discover explosives, firearms and narcotics. The company is dedicated to providing a safe and drug-free learning environment for schools, and a drug-free workplace for commercial entities. BJR meets this challenge with a dedicated staff of highly trained and motivated, instructors, dog handlers, and contraband investigators. Each one of our dogs are task- specific, alerting on only one type of odor (narcotics, explosive, or firearms). This ensures a strong conditioned response from the dog when the contraband odor is detected. BJR dogs perform at a level that meets or exceeds the certification standards of the United States Police Canine Association (U.S.P.C.A.) the National Police Canine Association (N.P.C.A.), and in the case of the explosive detector dogs, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).

This release contains 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.