| Employers entrust their workers with a vast | | | | of drugs among Federal employees. The |
| array of responsibilities in their businesses. Many | | | | Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 made it |
| employers feel it is necessary for prospective | | | | mandatory that Federal employees abstain from |
| employees to submit to a pre-employment drug | | | | drug use whether on or off duty. The signing of |
| screening. This is especially true in industries that | | | | this order helped to create other similar legislation |
| require the use of heavy machinery such as | | | | in nearly every state. Many of the nation's largest |
| forklift drivers, assembly workers and even | | | | corporations decided this was good practice for all |
| drivers. | | | | employers and since that time, many employers |
| In the United States, we are fortunate to have | | | | have drug testing as a condition of employment. |
| strict guidelines for workplace safety. Employers | | | | Many opponents of workplace drug testing argue |
| are bound by law to provide a safe working | | | | that this is not necessarily good practice. While |
| environment for their employees, to minimize the | | | | most opponents recognize employer concerns |
| risks of accidents or injuries. This is one of the | | | | regarding drug use among employees, they argue |
| most common reasons for drug testing in the | | | | that it is a violation of their privacy to require |
| workplace. Employers understand that drug abuse | | | | drug testing. This is especially true among those |
| may alter reasoning and logical abilities, thereby | | | | who will not occupy positions that utilize |
| causing unnecessary and preventable workplace | | | | dangerous equipment, such as office workers. |
| accidents. | | | | Most likely, this is a debate that will not end in the |
| Drug Testing in the Workplace | | | | near future. Employers take advantage of their |
| Drug testing in the workplace became very | | | | rights to test employees for drugs, while |
| popular in the 1980's. In 1986, President Ronald | | | | opponents will continue to argue against possible |
| Reagan signed an executive order to ban the use | | | | privacy right violations. |