Drug testing is no longer something reserved for college athletes and police officers. Many businesses that historically overlooked the use of drug tests have started using this tool in the screening process. Even many white collar type positions now require candidates to take and pass a drug test before they can officially be hired. The business world is attempting to create more responsibility among the workforce.

There are checks and balances on both sides. The employees have the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the employers have contracts and other laws that shield them from legal pursuit. A large percentage of employees also have unions looking after their well-being like the AFL-CIO. Drug testing is a device that protects employers from irresponsible, potentially dangerous employees.

Drug Testing in the Workplace

Drug abuse occurs in every socioeconomic group on the planet. The poor use drugs to figuratively escape from their living conditions. Rich people use drugs to help give them a sense of purpose. Middle class Americans use drugs to make themselves feel spectacular. Adults who were abused as kids use drugs to forget their past. Admittedly, these are stereotypes, but the point is clear--drugs can afflict anyone.

For this reason, employers have every right to protect themselves from drug users. People who use drugs are more likely to quit, steal, consistently show up late, act erratically, and "flake out."