A call from the management company for our hotels and apartment complexes concerning its practice of drug testing employees brought back memories from at least two decades ago.
I was sitting in my Lancaster office when I received a phone call from a colleague in the drug policy reform movement with whom I was not personally acquainted. I was told that NBC Nightly News was seeking a business spokesperson to state the case against drug testing employees.
Not familiar with the subject, I was nevertheless eager to respond to a request for help. I only had about two hours to rush home and change and drive to NBC’s affiliates studios on City Line Avenue just across from Philadelphia. As I recall, I had an early telephone in my car and, on my way, I was briefed as to what to say. (Or perhaps they faxed me information on the subject; I cannot be certain.)
I prepared a thirty-second sound bite. From my experience with political campaigns I knew that was all that would be necessary.
I arrived in mid-afternoon, was ushered into a studio, recorded what I had to say, and left for home.
Surrounded by wife and youngsters, we watched as I was introduced as an industry spokesperson. My appearance was for about twelve seconds.
Below is an excerpt from federal government research concerning drug testing found in a chapter devoted to all aspects of drug testing at www.Drug War Facts.com published by Common Sense for Drug Policy of which I was co-founder with Kevin Zeese.
“(What Testing Can and Cannot Measure) “Urine drug tests, which are the least expensive and most frequently used form of drug test, can generally detect marijuana use within the past week; cocaine, heroin and other ‘hard’ drugs used within the past two days; and alcohol use within the past several hours (though alcohol is not often included in drug screens). Drug tests cannot measure frequency of use, nor do they indicate the severity of impairment or whether an individual has a substance use disorder that requires treatment. In addition, without medical review and confirmation testing on initial positive results, 20 urine screens also cannot distinguish between the illicit use of street drugs and the legitimate use of certain prescription and over-the-counter drugs. For instance, a drug test cannot distinguish between prescribed Tylenol with codeine and illicit opiates. Improper testing procedures and mishandling of samples can also produce inaccurate results.”
Source: “ASPE Issue Brief: Drug Testing Welfare Recipients: Recent Proposals and Continuing Controversies,” Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (Washington, DC: October 2011), p. 4.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/11/DrugTesting/ib.pdf “
Since playing the role as an industry spokesperson, I have carefully followed the issue of the efficacy of drug testing. With confidence in my decision, I advised the management company that our firms would not require employees to be drug tested. Except for very special occupations, I consider it a waste of money, likely to do more harm than good, and an invasion of privacy and personal freedom.
