Why Should Every Company Drug Test? Pros and Cons

History of Drug Tests

The idea of drug testing originated in the early 1970s when President Nixon proclaimed a war on drug abuse. In the 1980s, drug testing was first introduced for federal employees in safety sensitive positions.

Drug testing is done by analyzing a person’s urine or blood sample to detect evidence of recent or present drug use. The urine test is also referred to as an EMIT (Enzyme-Mixed Immunoassay Test) which detects drugs that are broken down.

In order to reduce the risk of injury and death associated with on-the-job accidents, businesses across America have been using drug tests since 1985 when President Reagan directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to complete a study on random drug screenings of airline pilots in 1986 and require those that tested positive for illegal substances to undergo treatment or rehabilitation.

Drug Testing Has A Negative Feedback Loop on Violence In Society

Drug use is also a major cause of violence in the United States. It is estimated that 20 to 60 percent of all violent crimes are committed by users of drugs or alcohol. These crimes include murder, sexual assault, and robbery.

The link between drug use and violence has been supported by recent studies done by the National Medical Association which showed that people who used heroin or cocaine at least once were five times more likely to be violently assaulted than those who did not use either substance.

This helps companies promote corporate social responsibility.

Why Should Every Company Drug Test You After An Accident?

Many accidents happen in the workplace. These unfortunate events can be reduced by ensuring that employees are drug-free at the time of work.

Drug tests are a useful way for employers to protect their workers and ensure that they have a safe environment to work in, which can lead to decreased employee turnover and increase productivity. Drug testing is a good option for companies because it could help reduce the risk of on-the-job accidents.

After an accident, companies may not be able to collect evidence that shows if their employees are under the influence of drugs or using any illegal substance. Providing employees with a drug-free workplace is a good solution in order to maintain safety and decrease employee turnover.

When workers are regularly exposed to harmful substances, they have a greater risk of being involved in accidents on the job. This could lead to serious injuries or death for them and others around them.

In addition, companies can also benefit from knowing that their workers are drug-free after an accident because it could help lessen legal liabilities that occur when there is suspicion of use during an injury-causing incident.

Companies should make sure everyone follows rules and regulations set by work environments regarding the consumption

Drug Testing for Marijuana

According to a study published by Quest Diagnostics Inc., 20 percent of cannabis users test positive for marijuana during a drug test despite not using it in the past 30 days.

It is important to note that marijuana use can stay in an individual’s system from a few hours up to 30 days depending on the frequency and amount used, which raises questions about how long employers should test for its presence in urine after an accident.

Employers should think about establishing their own set policy of how they handle these issues while still being fair and accurate with employees. It is crucial to have policies that are reviewed by lawyers before implementing them into employment processes because one oversight could result in lawsuits against the company.

If a company does not drug test for marijuana, it could be detected in the urine of an employee who used the drug days before, even if he or she is not using it at work and in the event of a workplace accident, the company may be exposed to significant liability.

Pros of Drug Test

1. A drug-free workplace is a safe workplace: Drug test helps to create a safe and healthy environment for all workers.

2. Drug testing helps in reducing health care costs: Drug test helps a company save money spent on health care cost due to drug abuse and also protects the workers from a dangerous working environment.

3. Drug tests help employers avoid hiring someone with drug addiction problems or other substance abuse issues

4. Employers can also use drug tests as an opportunity to educate their employees about drugs and how they affect the body

5. Drug tests can be used as a deterrent for drug use in the workplace

6. Drug test results cannot be tampered with, so they’re reliable and accurate

7. Employee morale is higher when they know there’s zero tolerance for drug use on the job site

Cons of Drug Tes

1. Drug tests can be expensive and time-consuming

2. Drug tests can be unreliable

3. Drug tests may not detect drugs if they were taken many days ago unless expensive hair drug tests are used for testing.

4. If you’re taking medication, your drug test will come back positive even if you’re sober

5. Potential for invasion of privacy: Risk of violating the chain of custody

6. It takes time to get the results back from a lab

Takeaway

Drug testing has its advantages and disadvantages. Companies should think about implementing drug tests for employees in order to create a safe work environment, avoid legal liabilities, and reduce health care costs due to drug abuse.

However, companies must first consider the cost of the test as well as how best to implement it while still being fair with their employees (i.e., not violating privacy).

Ultimately though, every company should have some form of drug testing policy because if they don’t then they could be exposed to significant liability after an accident occurs on-the-job that involved drugs or illegal substances, and when workers are regularly exposed to harmful substances at work there is a greater risk of accidents happening which can lead to serious injuries or death.