|  | Public Health Safety | Work Safety

The History of Drug & Alcohol Testing for Job Applicants

The history of drug testing in contemporary times dates from a military accident in 1981 that killed fourteen soldiers, many of whom showed traces of drugs in their bloodstream. Twenty-five years later, more than 90 percent of all companies employing more than 500 people imposed at least one form of drug screening program. There are good economic reasons for this: drug abuse has been demonstrated to be a significant factor in workplace accidents, absenteeism and low productivity. On the other hand, drug abuse prevention programs have been shown to be more effective than drug screening, at least for larger companies.

  1. USS Nimitz

    • In May of 1981, a plane crashed on the aircraft carrier the USS Nimitz, killing fourteen and injuring forty-five. A forensic analysis indicated that several of the key figures involved in the accident had traces of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) in their bloodstream. President Ronald Regan declared a new zero tolerance policy to enforce drug prohibitions in the U.S. military. As a result, illicit drug use in the military dropped from 30 percent to 5 percent within eight years.

    Drug Testing for Federal Employees

    • President Reagan expanded this policy in the form of Executive Order 12564 - Drug-Free Federal Workplace (September 15, 1986), which required all executive agencies of the federal government to establish drug testing programs. The policy was updated in 2004, to deal with challenges to testing by employees and other matters.

    Chase, Maryland Train Crash

    • No similar legislation was mandated for employees in the private sector, but drug testing became commonplace nevertheless, especially after a 1987 train crash in Maryland that killed 16. The crash was caused by the failure of one of the train crews to obey signals to slow down at a designated point--these crew members were later found to have traces of marijuana in their bloodstream, and served several years in prison for their role in the fatal crash.

    Test Types

    • Drug testing includes a number of potential tests, involving urine, saliva, sweat, blood and hair. Some firms employ pre-employment screening, followed by random drug tests after employment begins. The ethical challenges of pre-employment testing are less severe than those of random testing for current employees, with the exception of certain professions involving public safety--school bus drivers, for example.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Despite the popularity of drug screening, there may be more economic benefit for larger firms to establish EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs) that allow employees access to free, confidential counselling for substance abuse issues. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 80 percent of employees participating in an EAP program at ChevronTexaco between 1990 and 1996 were able to retain their jobs. Considering that the average cost of replacing an employee ranges from 25 percent to 200 percent of annual salary, this represents a significant economic incentive for large companies to establish EAPs.

Work Safety - Related Articles