Drug Testing and Drug

¶ … people engage in recreational activities. Sometimes these activities involve the use of alcohol or drugs. Although people can engage in some alcohol and drug usage dependent on state and federal legislature, many drugs remain prohibited. Because most drugs remain prohibited, it is important for businesses to monitor the potential usage of drugs amongst its employees. It is important for a business to have employees that are healthy and can function at their best most of the time. Therefore, drug testing should be implemented at least annually, for most jobs.

Companies must perform drug testing on their employees for several reasons. The first reason is preventative. Drug users often incur higher medical expenses versus the employees not on drugs. By identifying a potential drug user, the company can take the steps necessary to remove that employee and avoid unnecessary medical costs.

The second reason is deterring drug use. Employees applying for a company that performs drug tests ensures most potential employees either do not take drugs while working for the company or will elect to work somewhere else. Most businesses do not want to deal with employees with substance abuse issues. An example of this was the loss of a sponsorship deal by Maria Sharapova. "Sharpova's longtime sponsor -- said it was suspending its relationship with the tennis star while the investigation continues" (Knowlton, 2016).

The third reason is a chance to rehabilitate employees. "The benefits of drug testing are assumed to reside in such features as its ability to clearly identify drug users and remove them from the workplace by dismissal or discipline (punitive measures) or treatment (rehabilitation measures)" (Davies, Francis, & Jupp, 2016, p. 197. Some employees are important to a business and therefore, may be given a chance at rehabilitation. Drug testing could help identify the problem and help the person get help.

Drug testing can also promote efficiency and safety within the workplace. A drug addicted employee may become disgruntled, steal from the workplace, or become less productive. Many people that use drugs end up abusing drugs. Although some drugs like marijuana, have proven to be effective for the treatment of a myriad of illnesses, some people may require consistent use of the drug to feel 'normal'. This may cause the person to experience some health problems associated with long-term use of marijuana like paranoia, depression, and anxiety, especially if not exposed to marijuana for a short while (NIH, 2017).

Therefore, policies must be implemented to ensure the drug testing can take place at key times of employment like pre-employment, post-accident, and so forth. There are a few human resources policies that should be in effect for any company that wishes to drug test. The first one is inspections. If companies decide to drug test, they should also implement an inspection policy to identify any potential drug use within the workplace. For example, pain medications are constantly abused in the United States. Locating prescription pain killers could help a company understand what situation an employee may be facing.