DRUG SCREENING INFORMATION
The United States National Institute of Drug Abuse statistics on Substance Use Disorders (SUD) quotes that 20.4 million people in the United States were diagnosed with SUD in 2019.* This pre-pandemic data shows that close to 6% of the U.S. population struggles with substance abuse. Additional last two-decade spike in drug overdose deaths, as well as the 2020-2021 pandemic Opioid Crisis, paints a daring picture of the American population.
Today’s American workplace is not different.
It is common for an employer to institute protocol pertaining to substance abuse screening at their place of work. There are 6 types of drug test reasons employers must consider, especially in safety-sensitive functions. One of the tests is a pre-employment test conducted prior to the employee hiring process, ensuring the newly hired person is a responsible, reliable, and resolute employee. The other five tests are strictly related to the safety-sensitive transportation industry. They include: random testing, post-accident, reasonable suspicion testing, return-to-duty testing and follow-up testing. The above tests are not only recommended but also required to be implemented in certain situations, especially for holders of a federally issued U.S. DOT number as described in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations FMCSR Title 49 Part 382.
One of the reasons quoted in the FMCSR relating to drug testing in the workplace is “to establish programs designed to help prevent accidents and injuries resulting from the misuse of alcohol or use of controlled substances by drivers of commercial motor vehicles”.
While having an established drug use screening protocol for drivers of an 18-wheeler, shouldn’t employers in other job sectors be proactive to establish a drug screening protocol that may not only prevent unwanted accidents and injuries resulting from drug/alcohol misuse but also prevent costly employees’ mistakes on whom employer relies to be responsible and resolute workers?
*https://nida.nih.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/budget-information/fiscal-year-2022-budget-information-congressional-justification-national-institute-drug-abuse/ic-fact-sheet-2022
