Avitar Subsidiary Retained to Supply Trained Canines for Explosive, Firearm Detection to Provide Increased Security on Boston Cruise Ships

September 27, 2001

CANTON, Mass., and GAINESVILLE, Texas, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Avitar, Inc. (Amex: - news) today announced that its subsidiary, BJR Security Service, has teamed with Easton, Mass.-based C&R Associates, Inc. in a joint services and marketing arrangement to provide canine explosive and firearms detection services as part of the heightened security measures being taken at the port of Boston. The initial team of canines, handlers and investigators has already arrived in the Boston area to begin work with C&R, a maritime security firm, in searching cruise ships and their trailers scheduled for loading.

``We look forward to playing an important role in the effort to ensure the safety of travelers following the events of September 11th,'' said Peter P. Phildius, Avitar's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. ``We immediately reallocated our resources at BJR to meet this request from C&R so that we could get our trained teams of personnel and canines to Boston to implement our program of protection through detection.''

Ron Allen, Vice President of Operations for Avitar, said, ``Due to the importance of this project, we took the extra step of bringing in investigators with law enforcement backgrounds to work with our canines and their handlers.''

Charles Patterson, President of C&R said, ``We selected BJR because their team combines highly trained, odor-specific dogs with handlers and investigators with extensive law enforcement experience. We are initiating this program with BJR as part of our continuing commitment to maritime passenger safety, and not in response to any specific threat. However, with the current environment, we, along with marine authorities, feel a heightened level of security is warranted.''

Avitar announced earlier this week that it expects 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. The company said there is an acute shortage of canines trained in the detection of explosives and firearms, and that it is maximizing its 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 is 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).

About C&R Associates, Inc.

Founded in 1997, C&R provides x-ray and metal detection equipment, repair, staffing and training to a large client base in New England. C&R's clients include cruise lines, court systems, Fortune 500 companies and Massport. With its assets and resources, C&R is well situated to meet the needs of its current and future clients in the wake of recent events.

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.