Last updated : December 23, 2024
Researchers at the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University have found that drug use in the United States has increased steadily in recent years, and the number of those seeking treatment for drug or alcohol abuse across the nation has risen as much as 12 percent. The jump in drug and alcohol use means American workplaces are more likely to have an employee who has a substance abuse problem on the payroll.
Workers who use illicit drugs or struggle with alcohol pose a significant risk to workplace safety, are more likely to let job responsibilities slide and adversely impact overall productivity due to increased absenteeism. To make matters worse, a survey conducted by the Hazelden Foundation in 1996 found that more than 60 percent of the workers who participated reported that they know people who have gone to work high or under the influence of alcohol. One lab charged with completing the testing reports that 60 percent of all positive tests show marijuana use, while 16 percent reveal recent cocaine use.
Drug testing is commonly conducted as part of pre-employment screenings, and some employers engage in random testing. Workers at some companies may be tested following a workplace accident so an employer may determine whether an employee was under the influence at the time of the incident. All of these methods help ensure the safety of every employee on the job. These tests allow employers to avoid offering a position to someone who uses drugs. Companies can also root out an existing employee who may be using on the job or whose habit has caused problems for other employees, at which time the company may choose to offer assistance with rehabilitation or terminate the offending worker. That is good news for the employees who do not use drugs and want to work in a safe environment, especially where the National Safety Council found that 80 percent of workers who were hurt in accidents that could be blamed on drug use were not the offending employees but coworkers and other bystanders.
Employers that have made drug testing a priority have seen a positive impact on workplace safety as a result, a fact that is demonstrated by a study of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The railroad saw the amount of accident-related injuries drop from 2,234 reported in the year prior to conducting employee drug testing down to 322 in the first half of the fourth year of drug-testing policy implementation. This represents a decrease in accidents of about 71 percent.
Drug testing demonstrates a company’s commitment to providing a safe environment for employees, which can be attractive to potential employees who do not use drugs. Many people want to work for a company where all employees are expected to execute their responsibilities safely and adequately. In addition to fewer accidents, workplaces that conduct drug testing are likely to see a drop in other drug-related problems like poor productivity, theft, absenteeism and excessive tardiness.
