I think drug testing is bullshit, unless you operate or are responsible for heavy machinery. Agree?

Question

Why is it anyone elses business? Studies have proven time and time again that drug testing is useless for determining preformance.

Answer 1

Hey - welcome to the twenty-first century!

We are in the age of the new prohibition. You are EVIL if you take drugs - don't you know that? EVIL!!!!

FP

Answer 2

I agree mostly. The purpose of drug testing other than pre employment, is so that when someone gets hurt on the job and comes up dirty the company is not liable and can fire the person. Maybe they should test people for being tired or perhaps overworked and stressed too that way they could get out of even more Workman's comp cases. I think you should be tested with a Breathalyzer to see if you are drunk but not drug tested. That is bullshit. If you are drunk on the job you should loose your job, and you really shouldn't be getting high at work. But there is no test to see when you got high only that you had gotten high at some point within the last month or so. It is also a means to divide and conquer the populace. But lets not get into that.

Answer 3

I absolutely agree with you! There has been no proven compelling reason for across the board drug testing, no cost savings, no better productivity, nothing. It is just a phallacy that the drug testing labs continue to propagate across our society.

Not to mention that there is no test to find out about current use of marijuana. The THC stays in your blood (fat cells I think) for up to a month so what are they testing for? That you ran into a college buddy and managed to score a joint and then smoked it a month ago? Come on!

On the other side of the coin, I've needed a job and went through drug testing 3 times. I have not used heavy drugs for many, many years, but used to be a regular pot smoker and I managed to pass all 3 of them. Also, I know that the residue from drugs such as cocaine, heroin and meth only stay in your system a few days, so if you fail because you are snorting on the way to your test, the the test has worked, because it proves you are stupid!

And finally, I have always been an outstanding employee that rarely, if ever, calls in sick, works twice as hard as others and I am professional in every way I represent my employer. Kinda blows the theory that drug users cost the company money, doesn't it?

Answer 4

No, it's not an indication of performance but it is of liability. As a business owner, I see employees who use drugs have more frequent absences, illnesses and tardiness. Also, those who may come to work under the influence are a safety risk to other employees and a detriment to productivity.

I have fired more than a few people who were not tested before applying for work, but were subject to tests because of their on the job behavior and performance. If these people were not hired in the first place, it would have saved the company a lot of money in administrative and productivity expense.

Answer 5

i can see from both sides.

FOR: it makes sense that an employer would not want to hire someone who is an alcoholic, becasue if they get drunk off their *** one night, and have to be at work at 8am the next day, how will they perform? if they even come to work?

AGAINST: why is it their business? they dont have to assume that just because a person does drugs that they are not a hard worker or that they are unreliable.

i was about to try drugs for the first time, and the day before i got a call from target saying that i was hired, and needed to take a drug test. i had put in my application almost a month ago so i figured they didnt want me, so i said to hell with it and was gonna do it. but i didnt and i got hired. i dont think it should be mandatory, only if there is a suspicion of it, or if like you said, you are operating machinery or something.

Answer 6

I agree. The only caveat is that companies are expected to pay for health benefits and the use of drugs (as well as alcohol, prescription drugs and smoking) effect your overall health. This gives a company a personal interest in your health which is what they can use to justify testing. If a company isn't paying your health benefits, then they should judge you completely by the quality of the job you do. If your a pothead and a better worker than someone who isn't a pothead, why should drug use matter?

Answer 7

There's this concept called INTEGRITY, which means a heck of a lot more to a prospective employer than your ability to operate a vehicle or heavy machinery. If you can't be trusted to obey the laws of the land concerning drugs -- laws that were made with YOUR safety as well as the safety of others around you in mind -- can you really be trusted to do a good job?

Answer 8

I do not agree. Any time someone is making decisions that affect a company, its employees or its clients, it is essential that they have a clear head. Therefore, drug testing is acceptable to protect the company and its assets.

A person always has the option to refuse a drug test and not be employed at that place. So if people don't like it, they should find companies that do not do drug testing.

Answer 9

I have to disagree with you. If you had a company, you probably would want your employees to be in all their possible 5 senses. You would expect that they be ready to do their jobs, and giving you their 100% or more and not give you a cruddy performance. There will be times that they might not put their best efforts, but hopefully it is because of valid reasons. You probably would want to hire people that will take their job seriously that don't go overboard in alcohol or overdose of illegal drugs. To me, it's just a way to make sure the person you're hiring is of good and moral character and will represent your company in an excellent way...hopefully. I hope my answer helps you out. Take care!

Answer 10

I think we need a drug free america. We do drug screening on ALL new employees and if it comes back positive, we don't hire them plain and simple. I don't care what job you have within the company. Those that do drugs are less responsible, they show up late, call in sick, leave early, steal for drugs. Give me a break. Let me guess, you got turned down for a job because you couldn't pass the drug test, did you forget to study?

Answer 11

I'd like to see your sources on this one. So it would be okay for say a cop to be high, or a teacher, a bus driver, a taxi driver, the guy working a press, the person on the high power electrical lines? There are thousands of jobs that could put a life in jeopardy if the person doing the task in on drugs.