cannabisnews.com: Government To Overhaul Employee Drug Tests 





Government To Overhaul Employee Drug Tests 
Posted by CN Staff on January 14, 2004 at 18:59:00 PT
By Adam Geller
Source: Associated Press 
New York -- The federal government is planning to overhaul its employee drug testing program to include scrutiny of workers' hair, saliva and sweat, a shift that could spur more businesses to revise screening for millions of their own workers.The planned changes, long awaited by the testing industry, reflect government efforts to be more precise in its drug screening and to outmaneuver a small but growing subset of workers who try to cheat on urine-based tests. 
Some businesses have already adopted alternative testing, despite criticism by privacy advocates. But others have held back, partly awaiting government standards.Alternative testing methods would give employers more certainty about the timing and scope of drug usage than is now possible solely with urine sampling, said Robert Stephenson II, an official with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.That could be particularly valuable in situations like investigations of on-the-job accidents, to determine not just whether an employee uses drugs but if usage occurred recently enough to be a cause.Alternative testing will "really ramp up our ability to increase the deterrent value of our program, which is basically the whole bottom line," said Stephenson, director of the agency's Division of Workplace Programs.  Stephenson said it would likely be a year until the new policies take effect for the nation's 1.6 million federal workers. The agency, known as SAMHSA, sets guidelines and administers the testing.All federal workers are eligible to be tested. SAMHSA, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, tests fewer than 200,000 workers a year. The decision about who is tested often depends on the sensitivity of their job.But because its standards are followed by regulatory agencies who conduct testing in industries they oversee, SAMHSA is responsible for about 6.5 million of the 40 million workplace drug tests done each year by U.S. employers.The agency's testing standards are also widely followed by thousands of other employers, public and private.The proposed changes are due out "literally any day," Stephenson said. He would not discuss details of the proposals before their release.Changes would not likely go into effect until early next year, after the agency solicits public comment, finalize guidelines and prepare for the transition. Once that happens, many other employers could follow suit, government and industry officials say."There's no doubt about it that SAMHSA's guidelines become the standard for the industry whether you're a regulated employer or not, and so what SAMHSA does will have wide-ranging impact," said Kenneth Kunsman, a marketing executive with OraSure Technologies Inc., which makes a saliva testing kit.More employers are already using alternative testing. But many have held back because of the lack of standards, said Laura Shelton, executive director of the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association, which represents test manufacturers and labs.Alternative tests hold appeal because their accuracy cannot be foiled with products sold to mask drug residue in urine, say company and government officials, noting that the tests are extremely accurate.But privacy advocates express doubts, pointing to cases of police officers and others who allege false positives because their hair absorbed drugs around them, as well as research suggesting dark hair soaks up more drug byproducts than light hair."There's a lot that would need to be done before these types of tests, in our minds, would be sufficient to used for workplace testing," said Jeremy Gruber, legal director for the National Workrights Institute, an employee advocacy group.The screening industry has worked in recent years to promote alternative tests.Casino operators and local police departments were among the first to use hair testing for pre-employment screening because it allows detection of drug use over much longer periods than urine. It is also now used by employers including Kraft Foods Inc. and brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos."Urine tests were fallible in a variety of ways," said Alan Feldman, a spokesman for MGM Mirage, which adopted pre-employment hair testing for all its 42,000 workers in 1993. "We want our people to be sharp."Psychemedics Corp., the largest hair testing company, has about 2,600 corporate clients and last year did about 400,000 tests, vice president Bill Thistle said.Saliva testing has only been marketed for workplace drug testing for a few years. Companies including paper manufacturer Georgia-Pacific Corp. have adopted it.Kunsman said the labs affiliated with his firm this year expect to process 60,000 to 70,000 workplace drug tests a month.Government officials and testing industry executives say the new tests are less a replacement for urine screening than as additional tools in employers' arsenal."In different cases, one specimen may be better than the other," said Dr. Donna Bush, drug testing team leader at SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.Saliva testing, done using a swab that looks much like a toothbrush but with a pad instead of bristles, is best at detecting drug use within the past one or two days.Hair testing, in which a sample about the thickness of a shoelace is clipped at the root from the back of the head, allows detection of many drugs used as far back as 3 months.Sweat testing, in which workers are fitted with a patch that is worn for two weeks, is used to screen people who have returned to work after drug treatment.On the Net:http://www.datia.org/http://www.orasure.com/http://www.workrights.org/http://www.psychemedics.com/http://www.drugfreeworkplace.gov/Newshawk: mayanSource: Associated Press Author: Adam GellerPublished: January 14, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Associated Press CannabisNews Drug Testing Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/drug_testing.shtml
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on January 15, 2004 at 21:05:12 PT
JustGetnBy
That was so very kind of you to say. If I can make it a little better and give us a little more hope then I am doing what I want to do. Life is hard. War is hard. It is very easy to curse the darkness but much better to light a candle. Light is the only thing that can take away the darkness. When we have hope we can think of ways to help solve a problem. When we become too negative we can become part of the problem. The way we feel and look at life is a choice. It's not a feeling but a decision to be one way or the other. I really care about everyone here. Those who post regularly I feel I know them even though we have never met face to face. I am very lucky to have my husband. He is my biggest fan and hardest critic. He wishes he knew how to type but he just hasn't found the time to learn but he reads CNews every morning before I take it to look for news. We talk about how I feel and he gives me advice. When I'm upset he is kind. Without him I couldn't do this. Thank you so much for the very nice words. I really appreciate them.
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Comment #18 posted by JustGetnBy on January 15, 2004 at 20:45:40 PT
                   FOM
  I have been reading this board for two years. I post ocasionally, but mainly I read and think about what I've read. I have been impressed with your kindness, compassion
and dedication from the begining, but I must tell you, the longer I hang around here, the more hope you give my tired worn down soul.  You (FOM) are a blessing, and your truck=Drivin hubby
is a lucky guy.
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on January 15, 2004 at 11:28:14 PT
One More Comment
I said my husband is a truck driver but where I heard the language wasn't from him but on the CB. Nothing shocks me anymore! LOL! There I feel better.
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on January 15, 2004 at 11:13:33 PT
yippierevolutionary
Thank you. That was kind. I really try hard too. I know I could swear about anyone here under the table. My husband is a truck driver and I've heard it all. Maybe someday for fun when it's legal we can all get together and have a who can swear better then the next person party! LOL!
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Comment #15 posted by yippierevolutionary on January 15, 2004 at 11:10:41 PT
FoM sorry for the profanity
I just get mad because I have serious problems with the distribtion of wealth in this country. 
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Comment #14 posted by yippierevolutionary on January 15, 2004 at 11:08:59 PT
MGM TESTS?!?!? What the Hell
They must only test the secretaries and gaffers, no way the stars would go through that. We wouldn't even have Hollywood if they drug tested Hollywood. I saw this commercial about file sharing movies, it was like what about all the people who will be affected like the guy that sells you tickets at the theater and the camera men?My cousin is a camera man and he hates his job, its come and go and they make them work long hours and don't pay OT. If they complain they just fire them and black list them. He is payed shit because Tom Cruise commands 20 million a picture while the little guys who get drug tested get paid shit. 
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Comment #13 posted by Sam Adams on January 15, 2004 at 08:33:09 PT
Question for AP
What other countries in the world perform drug testing?  NONE! Oh yeah, I forgot, we're the US, we don't give a rat's a$$ about anyone else....
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Comment #12 posted by ekim on January 15, 2004 at 08:21:23 PT
kraft foods-- beer Busch-- and Movies MGM
Casino operators and local police departments were among the first to use hair testing for pre-employment screening because it allows detection of drug use over much longer periods than urine. It is also now used by employers including Kraft Foods Inc. and brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos."Urine tests were fallible in a variety of ways," said Alan Feldman, a spokesman for MGM Mirage, which adopted pre-employment hair testing for all its 42,000 workers in 1993. "We want our people to be sharp."no wonder it is so hard to see someone in the Movie industry stand up they have been testing them since 1993 
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Comment #11 posted by jose melendez on January 15, 2004 at 08:13:16 PT
systemgonedown
Please use caution with quotes:http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/caesarjulius/f/didcaesarsayit.htm
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Comment #10 posted by SystemGoneDown on January 15, 2004 at 06:50:02 PT
Drug tests...
All in the name of the "War on Drugs"Here's a quote:"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citzenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar."  -Julius Caesar
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Comment #9 posted by SystemGoneDown on January 15, 2004 at 06:47:21 PT
This is BULLSH-T!!!!
I've already failed a drug test before, not they want to check my hair and saliva?And we tolerate this? They are treating the bill of rights like toilet paper. Why? Because of the War on Drugs?
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Comment #8 posted by JSM on January 15, 2004 at 04:51:05 PT
testing
My son will be going to Iraq in about 30 days or so with his unit. When I talked with him the other day, he told me that his unit has individuals as old as 48 or so and that drug testing results have been waived since the manpower need is so high. The policy now is to deal with any negative results after the unit returns from Iraq. Anyone else smell hypocrisy here?
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Comment #7 posted by The GCW on January 15, 2004 at 03:08:29 PT
Who's changes, get attention.
The planned changes, long awaited by the testing industry???WHAT ABOUT MY PLANNED CHANGES, LONG AWAITED BY PEOPLE THAT HOLD TRUTH HIGH?!?
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Comment #6 posted by Nuevo Mexican on January 14, 2004 at 21:21:23 PT
Dennis is first in the truthout.org poll Virgil!
Out of 23,000 people polled, what does that tell you!(not 500 or 1,000 at the most like usual)The 'truth' about Dennis is being manipulated, you can be sure! How can so many passioate, dedicated people not show up in the mainstream polls? Easy!This is one I can believe!t r u t h o u t Poll 
Final Results of the TO Straw Poll. Our Readers have spoken. 
Kucinich 44.5% 
Dean 32.4% 
Clark 14.6% 
Kerry 3.6% 
Edwards 2.4% 
Sharpton 0.9% 
Gephardt 0.7% 
Braun 0.6% 
Lieberman 0.3% Total votes: 23804 
 
 http://www.truthout.org/
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Comment #5 posted by Virgil on January 14, 2004 at 21:16:03 PT
The competitive edge
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/Default.aspx?id=3962175&p1=0 - Braun has made it official.Somehow, I believe this will help the cause of the Logical Conclusion. Drug testing with urine had a way of turning people to alternatives that would not stay in the system. Now the pain will spread and cost will go up. It just will increase the pain. It will cost taxpayers more because the government requires it with their contractors and it is used in prisons and everywhere the drug testing industry can find to mine.It is built into the price of products and you can be sure the drug testing salesman will want test for meth, x, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, mushrooms and anything else he can sell. One thing about urine, anyone could do it as a preliminary screen by dipping a piece of paper into a sample. These test are going to get awfully expensive and with big money on the line the salesmen will be at every school preaching the benefits of testing and asking parents to pay for it. These drug test are going to get where they cost two days pay to someone with a McJob. It is a racket. Well, prohibition is a racket and this is just another racket. Some politicians will get some good educational junkets and all that big money will influence elections. But when we are going in the wrong direction this is the kind of stuff we are going to pick up.It is a tax increase even if they borrow the money. It is a burden on the economy. It will lead to testing for drugs they do not test for now as people move to new alternatives. It is a senseless as policy. If they wanted to change the harms of substance abuse they would test children in high school for tobacco use. Of course they are not interested in reducing harm. They just need to grow the rackets no matter the cost or harm.
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Comment #4 posted by mamawillie on January 14, 2004 at 19:59:34 PT
Ummm, hello?
*****That could be particularly valuable in situations like investigations of on-the-job accidents, to determine not just whether an employee uses drugs but if usage occurred recently enough to be a cause*****Oh, really? Hair tests will be able to tell when a person last used a drug? That's kind of misleading, dontcha think?*spits fire*
Mama
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on January 14, 2004 at 19:57:43 PT
Virgil
CM Braun was on the show I watched to see Montel last night and she sounded gung ho. I thought she was going to go for it no matter what. What one day can do and they wonder why some of us don't believe politicians.
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Comment #2 posted by Virgil on January 14, 2004 at 19:48:15 PT
DK was 4th in D.C. beauty contest yesterday
Braun is dropping out of the race and backing Dean. The vote yesterday in D.C. did not much matter as they do not get delegates, but it is disappointing.Dr. Dean - 42.7% (17,736)Sharpton - 34.3% (14,248)CM Braun - 11.6% (4,824)D Kucinich - 8.3% (3,435)
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 14, 2004 at 19:07:59 PT
Off Topic: Singapore AP Article
Singapore Death Penalty
 
 January 14, 2003Singapore-AP _ A new report shows Singapore has the highest execution rate in the world, relative to its population.Singapore has about four (m) million people. And Amnesty International says it has hanged more than 400 prisoners since 1991. That gives the Asian city-state a rate six times greater than China's, which had the largest overall number of executions.Most are for drug violations. Anyone caught with more than half an ounce of heroin or more than 17 ounces of marijuana is presumed to be trafficking. A death sentence is mandatory.Amnesty says that violates the right of presumption of innocence.One member of Singapore's parliament responded by saying: "Rule breakers have to be dealt with. It's the same in any part of the world" -- saying Singapore just does it "differently."Copyright: 2004 Associated Press
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