Detecting drugs in the workplace by means of urinalysis has been subject to a great deal of controversy as its acceptance by employees, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), state legislatures and unions varies considerably. A multitude of technical and practical reasons continue
to support the belief that there is no viable substitute for urinalysis. Because of the susceptibility of urine testing alternatives methods of drug detection need to be explored. This paper examines physical alternatives as well as psychological tests that may be useful alternatives.
Performance decrement due to drug-induced impairment costs government and industry an estimated $117-120 billion annually (Spicer & Owen, 1985). Employers have responded by increasing the use of drug testing, yet these tests do not detect dependency or impairment, and cannot assess performance decrement. The rationale for drug testing seems to be that where there is drug use, there is usually impairment and performance decrement. However, employers need only be concerned with performance decrement, and effective supervision may be the only viable method for identifying and documenting performance decrement. An Employee Assistance Program should also be considered as part of a complete approach to dealing effectively with drug abuse in the workplace.Drug-induced impairment is a complex and well-documented problem in today's workplace, manifesting itself in a broad range of cognitive, psychological, psychomotor, and social performance areas. Impairment canjresult in lowered productivity, high turnover, and increased accident rates costing businesses and government an average of up to one fourth of each impaired worker's annual salary ("Alcohol," 1985). It is estimated that lost productivity alone costs up to $100 billion annually (Spicer &. Owen, 1985).
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