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Insights into Drug Testing: Policy, Methods, and Impacts

Explore the history and essentials of drug testing, including the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, public versus private policies, reasons for testing, policy inclusions, testing methods, cheating prevention, pros and cons, and statistics on impacts. Dive into the necessity, benefits, and challenges of drug testing to understand its role in maintaining a safe and productive work environment.

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Insights into Drug Testing: Policy, Methods, and Impacts

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  1. Drug Testing Is it in you?

  2. History • The Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 • Required contractors and government agencies provide a drug free workplace before they could receive federal contracts. • Drug testing up 288% since 1988 • Last year 50 million drug tests were given to employees

  3. Public Vs. Private • Public • Only test if they have reasonable suspicion of work related drug use. • Exceptions for public safety, national security or other highly regulated industries. • Private • 14 states have regulated aspects of drug tests • State legislatures try to ensure accurate and responsible testing as well as confidentiality.

  4. Reasons to test • Saves the company money on insurance costs • Drug users waste more sick time, and are away from work more often • Low costs relative to benefits • The big one; LOST PRODUCTIVITY • Higher risk of accidents to other workers, themselves and customers • The costs of litigation that arises from drug related incidents

  5. What Should a Drug Testing Policy Include? • The drugs you are testing for • Who will be tested and under what conditions • The consequences of testing positive or refusing to take the test • Who pays for the drug test • Drug testing procedures

  6. When to Drug Test? • Pre-Employment Tests • Pre-Promotion Tests • Annual Physical Tests • Reasonable Suspicion and For Cause Tests • Random Tests • Post Accident Tests • Treatment Follow-up Tests

  7. Types of Drug Testing Methods • Urine Test-most common test • Blood Test-most expensive, used in extreme or unique cases • Alternative Specimen Test-very expensive, but very accurate • Breath Alcohol Test

  8. Cheating the Drug Test • Urine Additives • Toxin Removal from blood and urine • Drink a lot of cranberry juice/water • Detoxifying Shampoo • Saliva Cleansing Solution

  9. Pros; the numbers • 65% of all accidents on the job are drug related • In 1987 18.1% of all workers tested had positive results. In 1997 it was only 5.4% • Average employer loses $7,000 a year for every employee that abuses drugs/alcohol • Drug use cost employers $75-$100 Billion • A drug user is 4 times more likely to be involved in a work related accident, terminated for cause. • Texaco estimates a $2.5 million dollar savings, over 4 years, on insurance at their New Orleans plant alone.

  10. Cons • Instills a lack of trust in some employees • Show use not necessarily abuse • Kaiser Permanente found there was no significant difference in health care costs between employees who tested positive and those who tested negative. • Programs may not yield benefits that justify the costs. • Challenges from the ACLU • Added Expense for the Company • Costs of Individual Test: • Urine = $44 • Alternative (Hair)= $115-$150

  11. Questions?

  12. References • www.health.org • www.testclear.com • www.aclu.org • www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/testing.html

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