Drug and Alcohol Screening
The utilization of Drug and alcohol screening in the workplace is a
legitimate, legal way of identifying substance abuse. If utilized in the
early stages of substance abuse, the benefits are indisputable. The denial of
abuse, a common symptom of addiction, makes identification difficult,
therefore a surefire method of identifying abuse is necessary.
Additionally, drug and alcohol screening can also be used for
identification and monitoring of the patient during drug treatment.
Drug and alcohol screening is an important and very effective tool that
must be utilized correctly and judiciously. Due to the possibility of
incorrect testing or interpretation, which can harm innocent people and
families, drug and alcohol screening must be administered by individuals
who are trained to understand drugs on a medical and pharmacological
level.
Many testing options are available. Drug and alcohol screening
procedures and implementation should be tailored to the needs of the
situation. The types of tests available are as follows:
Pre-Employment:
To aid companies in identifying individuals who are substance abusers,
pre-employment drug and alcohol screening should be implemented.
Post-Accident:
Substance abusers are 75-80% likelier to be involved in an on-the-job
accident. These accidents are often worse than accidents involving
non-abusers. Some companies deny or reduce workers’ compensation
benefits if the employee was impaired or intoxicated at the time of the
accident.
Random:
Random testing is the most effective option for drug and alcohol
screening available. Companies that use random testing benefit from
increased productivity, diminished absenteeism and tardiness rates and
better workplace morale. Random testing not only helps detect, but is
also a deterrent against drug and/or alcohol use.
Reasonable Cause:
Reasonable Cause testing gives the employer an opportunity to test an
employee suspected of being under the influence of drugs. Employees may
be asked to submit to a drug and alcohol screening if “reasonable cause”
exists to indicate that their health or ability to perform work may be
impaired due to substance abuse.
Follow-Up:
Any and all employees who have tested positive should be subject to
follow-up, unannounced testing for up to twenty-four months.