The Problems With Drug Screening
Drug tests Can Differ
When it comes to workplace drug screens, you really have to put a lot of faith in science.
Very few people know the lowdown about how the chemistry behind drug tests works, so you have to know if what you are getting is going to work and work well. After all, there is so much at stake. Not only is workplace safety an issue, but there are also possible insurance issues, workplace liability, and of course the security of knowing that you are operating a drug-free work place.
Finding The Best Drug Screening Supplies
That is why, when our Board of Directors decided to start drug screening at the company I manage, we put so much effort into finding the best drug testing supplies. There are literally thousands upon thousands of drug screens, and not all of them are certified to be completely accurate. The interesting thing that many people don't think about is that your average drug screen doesn't test for everything. As a matter of fact, most drug screens test for only a few drugs. They test for marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and a few others. Certain serious drugs such as alcohol and LSD are commonly left off of many drug tests designed to detect something as innocuous as mild pot usage. If you don't do your research well, you could be canning occasional pot smokers while letting serious alcoholics come to work drunk with impunity.
Many Different Types of Drug Screens
There are also many different types of drug screens. Blood drug testing is obviously one of the most reliable, but it is also seen as pretty invasive. Hair testing can pick up a history of drug usage that goes back a long way. Urine testing is often preferred at work because it is easier to safely do than blood testing and still pretty accurate. Nowadays, there are even some saliva drug tests available as an easy alternative to urine testing.
Which Is Best?
The problem is that it is hard to get reliable statistics about the comparative quality of different drug screens. It is possible that they are all pretty much the same, but you can't know for sure. That is why we made the decision to use the drug testing products used by our local police department. We figured that, if the cops could use them for screening drugs, so could we. After all, who would know about effective drug testing than the local police force? Although they are a bit more expensive than some other products, so far, we have been happy with the results we have gotten from the tests.
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Tags: Addiction, drug screening, drug testing, workplace
November 29th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
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November 29th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
[...] post by unknown Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and [...]
November 29th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
[...] The Problems With Drug Screening Certain serious drugs such as alcohol and LSD are commonly left off of many drug tests designed to detect something as innocuous as mild pot usage. If you don’t do your research well, you could be canning occasional pot smokers while … [...]