Why Drug Test?

By Ross Chandler

Regardless of the arguments for or against drug testing, it continues to expand throughout the U.S. to include even small county and city governments, hospitals, nursing homes, and family owned businesses. Most large businesses and industry have had drug testing for over 15 years, and in the past 5 years, most small construction companies require drug testing. In addition, most federal and many state agencies require drug testing.
Many times I have been asked the question, “Why drug test?” from agency directors, superintendents, mayors, and owners of small businesses. All of these people are looking for a simple, twenty-five words or less conclusive answer to what appears to be a simple question. However, I have never been able to give simple, concise, fits everyone answers.
Following are a list of 14 answers that may be helpful for most people asking the “Why” question:
1. To comply with mandatory federal regulations (i.e.: Department of Transportation).
2. To comply with sub-contractor requirements (i.e.: Weyerhaeuser Company).
3. To comply with customer or contract requirements.
4. To comply with insurance or workman compensation requirements.
5. To match similar agency, government, or business norms (i.e.: law officers, fire fighters, emergency medical personnel, crane operators, and forklift drivers).
6. To reinforce the agency or business position of “Drug-free” or “No use workplace” (i.e.: Wal-Mart and McDonalds).
7. To motivate people with drug problems to get off drugs to get or keep a job.
8. To establish strict policies of discipline or firing concerning alcohol or drug use and an accident/incident at work.
9. To convince “casual users” that the cost of using might be too high (i.e.: loss of job and documented evidence of drug use).
10. To reduce the costs of alcohol or drug use in the workplace (i.e.: health, theft, employee turnover, accidents/incidents).
11. To give recovering employees motivation to not use (relapse prevention).
12. To improve the agency or business image in the eye of the customers or potential customers (i.e.: indicated by posters that say, “This is a Drug-Free Workplace” or “Drug Testing is Required to Work Here”).
13. To keep alcohol and or drug use away from company or school functions.
14. To avoid being sued. Without an enforced alcohol/drug abuse policy, employers can be held negligent for damage to property or harm done to others by employees under the influence of alcohol or drugs (i.e.: driving the company vehicle, forklift drivers, and other heavy equipment operators).

For more information about alcohol and drug testing call 580-286-6577.