Know the Ethical Issues with Drug Testing at Workplace

Drug testing at workplaces has become common. Pre-employment drug testing, random drug testing, post-accident drug testing are some of the modes of drug screening at workplaces. It is necessary for an organization to evaluate the ethical implications.

Many people feel that drug tests should not be conducted at workplaces. But, some people feel that it is necessary to conduct employment drug testing. However, it is necessary for the employers to ensure productivity and performance of employees. So they prefer to conduct employment drug tests. Drug abused employees lack motivation and job satisfaction. They also are found to be absent for work frequently decreasing their individual as well as the organization productivity. Therefore, employers should educate their employees about the importance and effect of drug abuse at workplace. This would help in improving employee health and safety which automatically creates a safe and discipline work environment.

A company policy should be made to address the issue to employees which does not create any discrimination against employees. The policy should mention the process and rules of drug testing. It is to be ensured that medical treatment and employee counseling are included in the drug free workplace policies. The policy should also mention about strict disciplinary actions that will be taken against drug abused employees. They should be made clear to job applicants at the time of recruitment. Those who are interested with the policy suggestions, should only join the organization.

Rehabilitation of drug addicted employees is the main ethical issue concerned with employment drug testing. It is necessary for employers to handle the sensitive situation very carefully.

Know About Pre-Employment Marijuana Drug Test

Marijuana is an highly used illegal drug in the United States. In order to detect the usage, marijuana drug test is conducted at different places. There are several types of drug testing methods like saliva drug testing, blood drug testing, urine drug testing, hair drug testing.

Employer of an organization expects the environment to be clean and safe. For making the work environment safer, he wants to choose the right employee for their job. Apart from conducting several skill testing, they even made drug testing as mandatory for preventing the accidents.

As this test will be done for so many people at a time and randomly, the most cheapest and effective test will be the urine test. Although, Urine test cannot determine the THC psychoactive component of marijuana, it can detect the non-psychoactive component of marijuana for THC-COOH. As detection periods for occasional users will be from 1 to 7 days and for chronic users it will be detected from 7 to 100 days.

If you want the immediate result, saliva drug testing can be used. But, unlike the urine test one cannot perfectly detect the presence. Blood test gives the accurate and perfect result for the recent drug usage, but this test is not used because it is expensive. Hair test also can be done, but the recent use cannot be detected.

But generally urine test is performed as the marijuana is much sensitive to this test. Once the job applicants marijuana drug test results are out, depending on the result i.e., if the result is negative then he will be employed by the employer.

Statistics On Substance Abuse At America's Colleges And Universities

The report called Wasting the Best and the Brightest of Substance Abuse at America’s Colleges and Universities, announced distressing public health crisis on college campuses across America. It has published its study on this, in 2005. This report showed the serious nature of the drug abuse problem at America’s colleges and universities and how it has increased.

It was found that in each month, nearly half (49.4 percent) of all full-time college students between ages 18-22 had the habit of drinking and of abuse prescription drugs and/or illegal drugs. In 2005, nearly one among four college students (22.9 percent or approximately 1.8 million) faced the medical criteria for substance abuse or dependence, which is almost triple the proportion (8.5 percent) in the general population.

In 2005, 69.0 percent or 5.4 million full-time college students are recorded for drinking, abusing controlled prescription drugs, using illicit drugs or smoking. Nearly one-half (45 percent or 2.3 million) of those who drink are also engaged in two or more other forms of substance use (illicit drug use, prescription drug abuse or smoking).

Students get attracted to prescription drugs to relieve stress, improve mood or enhance performance. For many students, their college environment encourages instead of restricting substance use and abuse. So, these statistics show that students in colleges are more influenced than non-college students. Proper steps need to be taken from school itself in order reduce student substance abusers.

Who says drug testing is not exact science

Drug testing is an effective method to put people away from drug usage. But drug testing is an alien science for many people. There are still many misconceptions on drug testing among people like

• Drug tests are meant for people who have drug abuse background or drug abused friends
• Drug tests are not exact science
• Drug tests are big hassle
• Drug tests are hazardous, etc

Though these are all misconceptions, people still like to believe them and leave their friends or family members get impacted with drug abuse.

Drug testing has become a common process these days in many places. Thanks to drug testing kits!

Drug testing has become easy to implement with the aid of drug testing kits. They provide results with reasonable accuracy and are not hazardous at all. People can now conduct drug testing regularly at homes, with less hassle and minimum costs, by using drug testing kits.

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