Last updated : December 16, 2024
Drug use is an increasingly prevalent problem in the workplace and less workplaces today are reliably testing their employees. Drug testing is important not just to protect employers, but also to protect employees from their fellow staff members, and to protect the employees from problems that the company may got through. When employees use drugs, they are a risk to themselves, their coworkers, and even clients.
The Types Of Drugs Used Today
Marijuana is still one of the most common drugs in use today. This drug is becoming legal in many states, but those who have legitimate medical problems that necessitate the drug will have a prescription and therefore they will not be affected by drug tests. However, they will still need to tell the employer about their drug use because there are certain positions, such as warehouse positions, that require extra care.Heroin use is not as common as it used to be, but addicts of this drug can be unpredictable and undependable. This drug is extremely expensive and can cause their users to act in increasingly desperate manners. Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs in common usage. Cocaine is a similar drug that can cause its users to rack up huge amounts of debt.Ecstasy and amphetamines are currently common party drugs and if an employee is working with many people aged from 20 to 30 it’s likely that at least some of their coworkers are using these drugs. These drugs can lead to wild mood swings and otherwise erratic behavior.Why Employees Need To Worry Many drugs can lead users to act in unpredictable and even dangerous ways. If using amphetamines or cocaine during the work day a coworker may appear manic, anxious, or paranoid. During long-term use a coworker may start to believe that everyone is plotting against them and may start taking actions in revenge. When taking drugs like marijuana or heroin a coworker may suddenly drift to sleep or lose focus on important and even dangerous tasks. Those using ecstasy will often experience waves of intense depression and melancholy.
Not only does an employee have to worry about their coworkers’ state of mind, they may also need to worry about their actions. Paranoid coworkers can become violent, and those who are desperate for a fix of an addictive substance may even begin stealing from other workers. They may also steal from the company, and without reliable drug testing no one may ever know that they had a motive to do so. This means that blame may fall to someone else, which may be a completely innocent employee.
Furthermore, if the company gets into trouble because of an employee that was on drugs and not properly drug tested it will cost the company money. This can indirectly affect other employees, and can lead to layoffs and cutbacks. There are many reasons why it’s in the best interest of both the company and its workers to create a solid system of drug testing.
Why Drug Testing Is Vital To Any Company
Small and moderately sized companies tend not to drug test anymore, but it’s absolutely critical. Many people are doing drugs today and are under the belief that it does not affect them because they cannot see what others can. There are many different types of drug and they all have different dangers. Drug testing is the only way to make sure that employees follow the rules and don’t endanger each other.
Random drug testing is necessary because many drugs exit the system very quickly. That means drug testing should be conducted often and that no one should be aware of when. However, after a weekend is usually best because employees do tend to take more recreational drugs during this time.
As more dangerous street and party drugs come out the problem becomes more worrisome. Many street drugs are extremely dangerous today, and many times even the users are not entirely aware of the type of drug they are taking. While someone may believe they are taking a harmless party drug they could in fact be taking methamphetamine, and then coming to work the next day. Someone on meth is extremely dangerous to both themselves and their fellow workers, but no one will ever be aware unless proper drug testing is involved.
