When I began my working career, drug testing was not even a word
combination. I had never been exposed to drugs beyond the point of
alcoholic beverages, and then only on special occasions and holidays.
To contemplate daily usage of some foreign substance was beyond my
realm of possibilities. I was not alone. That was twenty-five years and
many drug issues ago.
Today, if you apply for a job, of any kind, you will be drug tested.
Why? Because a lot has changed in twenty-five years. Today, the
prevalence of drug abuse in every level of our society has grown beyond
anyone’s belief. Drugs have infected our teens, our adults, the rich,
the poor; even the sanctuaries of our churches are no longer exempted.
If you can manage to reach the age of thirteen, without exposure to
marijuana, hallucinogenic substances, or the common place alcoholic
beverage, you are an exception. With so many opportunities for
experimentation, it’s no wonder that we have a problem with drug
addiction in our workplace. Once a young person becomes addicted to a
drug, the chances of abstinence are low, until it begins to affect
their ability to generate an income, or interact in relationships.
The point of intervention for most employers is to simply prohibit the
employment of an individual that tests positive for drug use. The cost
to employers for employees with drug or substance abuse problems is
staggering. Employees will cost their twice as much in medical bills
and workmen’s compensation claims. Drug related crime is the second
largest expense to an employer. Lost productivity for victims and lost
employees due to incarceration for drug crimes accounts for the bulk of
the drug related expense.
Thanks to the advent of drug testing in the workplace, drug use rates
have continued to decline since 1992, and remain stabilized today
around 7%. Implementing a drug testing program in your place of
business has never been easier, and the cost is minimal. Businesses
have access to many hundreds of companies that are drug testing
administrators. These companies will provide your business with
everything you need to drug test all employees, or randomly test a few
employees. You simply notify the administrating company when you’re
ready to test, and they handle the rest. The administrator performs
onsite interviewing and testing, proceeds to having the tests processed
and providing you with the results.
Drug testing for the most common illegal drugs is readily available,
and some of the more difficult testing options can be incorporated at
the customer’s request. Drug test kits for the most common tests
require the individual being tested to supply a certain amount of
urine, in a tube, vial, or small cup. Introduction of a fairly new test
strip further ensure the laboratory that the urine provided is not
“borrowed” and brought into the testing facility. Other common forms of
test methods are saliva, hair and blood. Generally speaking, however,
urine provides the most reliable results at the most economical expense.
