US government to overhaul employee drug tests (merged)

Ok, normally I'm the last person that would defend the govt's actions but for once I see their point so here I go.

The rationale is this: If you are in a position that directly affects public safety, then they have a right to know that you aren't impaired in any way. If you are in a sensitive position, like one that deals with classified or protected govt information, then they have the right to know that your 'extracirricular activities' aren't going to endanger the secrecy of that information.

Basically, they operate under the assumption that drug users are a higher risk. You're willing to break your govt's laws to get high so what stops you from [insert other bad thing here]. Someone who abuses cocaine, for example, is more likely to sell govt secrets to make money to support their habits. It sucks for those that use drugs recreationally and are still responsible trustworthy govt employees. But in the end, it's your choice... you're notified before you even accept the position that you're subject to drug testing so if the job is important enough to you, you choose not to use drugs.
 
^^B.S.

One's private activities have NOTHING to do with their job performance in the public sector.

What worries me is the length drugs can remain detectable in someone's hair. By your logic, someone who smokes a joint a few times a year on a holiday should be fired, since their job performance and devotion is clearly in jeopardy. You'll have it your way anyhow.

Looks like I might have to start thinking about changing my career path.
 
SilverFeniks said:
^^B.S.

One's private activities have NOTHING to do with their job performance in the public sector.
Click to expand...

That's not always true. I know plenty of people that let drug use interfere with the rest of their lives. Now, in my case and probably yours and many of the others on this board, our private activities have nothing to do with our job performance. But can you speak with any confidence about every other drug user? On the whole would you say drug users are a responsible trustworthy bunch? It's a tossup, right, and it's a risk that the govt is saying loud and clear that they aren't willing to take. And as much as I hate for it to be true, they shouldn't have to. We have drug laws and most of the powers that be think they are just and in place for good reason. If we want to argue about something, it should be those laws and not testing.
 
In response to the question of "Do employers have to do the tests" and "Do they ahve to fire someone for failing it"
Its simple , they have insurance, the insurance eats ALOT of profits for most companies, Insurance company says we will raise your rates by 25% a year unless you start random drug testing your employees, If they fail you can pay for a drug treatment for them or fire them to keep your insurance premiums from raising"

You own the business currently you pay 15% of your profits to insurance premiums, now they wanna raisse it 25%.. what will you do?

Yep you will fire them and get someone that doesnt use drugs..

BUT IMO this is a violation of our rights, what peopel do in thier OFF time is thier business NOT your employers, If you get aught and goto jail then it is thier choice of how to repsond, but to say ok you smoke pot in your house every friday night so your fired is a total diregard to our privacy.
 
If companies really wanted to be drug free then they should not allow tobacco and alcohol. Alcohol slows down your reaction time and inhibits good judgment. Even came to work hangover or still drunk? Your not as productive or at best not as eager to work i.e. "not a happy worker". Tobacco is major addictive and people take more breaks and reduces productivity. Some Government have make smoke free work places but then people have nicotine fits all day, which intern decreases productivity. Take them out too. Would lower insurance rates even more right?? Oh forgot Coffee caffeine makes you jittery cant have that either.
Seriously I do think that some companies should be drug free. Airline pilots, Bus drivers, Police, People in high injury risk jobs (just for safety), Government workers that deal with sensitive material (don't want some top secret document being sold so Joe Blow can get a few rails of coke). But this is all my uneducated opinion.
 
Doesn't surprise me in the least. The point of a bureaucracy is to achieve optimum means to your desired end. We all know the US gov hates illegal drug users. I don't put anything past them. Hell, as far as there cocearned we're one link in the chain away from some kook with a dynamite vest on.
 
SigmaSis03 said:
If you are in a sensitive position, like one that deals with classified or protected govt information, then they have the right to know that your 'extracirricular activities' aren't going to endanger the secrecy of that information.
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I have yet to release any "sensitive" information about myslef or anything/anyone else while I have been on any drugs at all.
However, when I have gotten drunk off my ass (like, 3 times) I started spewing out all sorts of things that I really would have liked to keep to myself. Why don't they fire people in sensitive positions for drinking on the weekends, also?
 
In all honesty if a company wants to be a "Drug Free" workplace they should disallow drinking of alcohol on their off hours. Or elese change a the name to "Kinda Drug Free".
 
There is something called human rights. I'm glad I live in Canada where they haven't been violated to that extent (at least not yet). Man big brother is coming. The U.S. must be the most highly regulated nation in the first world. Does your government think they have the right to all this personal info in the "interest of national security"? Do they think the average American is unable to think for themselves at all? This is a power grab by the rich.
 
edarrin said:
Does your government think they have the right to all this personal info in the "interest of national security"? Do they think the average American is unable to think for themselves at all?
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Do you even need to ask? 8)
 
What's this thinking you Canadians keep talking about? That sounds like something our gov't does for me. Uh oh, I think I may have just shit myself.



(That was sarcasm, by the way. I did not, in fact, shit myself.) =D
 
I have read very good responses to this bit of news. Sigmasis has very good, and in my opinion agreeable points.

I am of the opinion that you cannot build good safety laws/regulations on top of bad laws/regulations. The position of the U.S. government on many of the drugs tested for is well known. The laws that make these drugs illegal are bad laws. There needs to be a new philosophy and a completely overhauled set of laws and regulations for ALL drugs. The lies and propaganda that made the current laws on drugs, are the same lies and propaganda that are fueling the constant negative view and subsequent employment requirements that this article discusses. One stupid fucked up law on-top of another.

It's a tall tower of shit, and I am amazed at how "they" are able to continue stacking it! Believe me, it can't hold. It WILL FALL. You cannot hope to build anything that will last on a bad foundation.

I am lucky to work for a company that albeit large, is too compartmentalized to the effect that drug testing would be tough to implement. Pushing papers across a desk is also something that doesn't quite mandate testing either. Lastly, the local manager would totally block anything like that coming from corporate HQ, and they are not in a position to really fight about it. So, I am lucky.

I can't help but keep running this scenario through my head:

A guy working for a big company comes back to work after a long vacation to Europe and/or Africa, Indonesia, the Orient, whatever. He has lost a ton of money gambling abroad, but hits the jackpot of his companies' random drug testing. They detect a substance illegal here in the U.S.. You are terminated. Why? You consumed drugs OUTSIDE the U.S. where it was perfectly legal. You are punished here because it was made illegal so long ago for completely wacked reasons. AAAAAHHHHHHHHH.

What about people that abuse prescription drugs? Huh? What about those fuckers? They don't test for LEGAL drugs much do they? Yeah, so they detect a bit of an opiate substance, just whip out the old script (nevermind if it's authentic) and no problemo. You people whining about this just need to adopt new and different drug habits. That's all...

/Hasn't posted in like...a long time and throws down a novel...
 
someone said something about the 911 thing with drugs and all ive got to say about anything that would be 'tied together' or some silly shit is just that, silly bullfuckingshit.... the only thing drugs have got to do with terrorism is the part where bush wants to win the 'war on drugs', and since 911, people hate terrorism and such; so, if people hate terrorists and such, and drugs mean terrorism, people should hate drugs too..... that basically kills 2 birds with one stone... its kinda smart in a sense, because really, look at the world we live in, people are fucking idiots... its the common, everyday, average american VOTER that makes up a majority of this idiocy, therefore, if bush is president, he's right, if he said drugs help terrorists, well, dont hesitate to ass rape your nearest dealers with baseball bats while you call the cops, they could be 'terrorizing' YOU!!!.............. yea.................................................................
 
and as for drugs making a difference in a person's performance in anything, yea, when im high it does, but i like to to what ive got to do so i can go get high... im a 4.0 student with a job; its the fact that when i get outta school and get off work, im gonna go get fucking ripped that keeps me going
 
Morlock said:

A guy working for a big company comes back to work after a long vacation to Europe and/or Africa, Indonesia, the Orient, whatever. He has lost a ton of money gambling abroad, but hits the jackpot of his companies' random drug testing. They detect a substance illegal here in the U.S.. You are terminated. Why? You consumed drugs OUTSIDE the U.S. where it was perfectly legal. You are punished here because it was made illegal so long ago for completely wacked reasons. AAAAAHHHHHHHHH.
Click to expand...

Yup. In this respect the USA is worse than Iran, the Taliban or Saudi Arabia. those regimes do/did not test their citizens for having drunk alcohol while abroad. In fact, many Saudis go abroad and have a party (drinking alcohol, sex etc).

Or have you ever heard of Iran testing women for not having worn a veil while abroad?

Or what if Saudi Arabia would do a hairtest on US citizens and test them for alcohol traces? And then would give them 500 whiplashes?

The USA DOES do this.
 
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