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echo: norml
to: ALL
from: LP
date: 1997-02-08 23:18:00
subject: [11/15] Drug Testing

 >>> Part 11 of 15...
     drug users have higher accident rates, increased rates of
     litigation and medical claims,'' said Dr. John P Morgan, a
     professor of pharmacology at the City University of New York
     Medical School.  ``The claims are always stated.  They are
     simply not documented.''
     Dr. Morgan, who is writing an academic review of research on
     work place drug testing, said most people who test positive
     for drugs are occasional marijuana users.  ``No data
     indicate they are bad workers.  They are no different than
     anyone else,'' he said.
[8]  JAMA, November 28, 1990 Vol 264(20) pp. 2639-2643 ``The
Efficacy of Pre-employment Drug Screening for Marijuana and
Cocaine in Predicting Employment outcome.''
     ...
     We recognize that a number of potential confounding factors
     might be associated both with the risk variables of
     marijuana and cocaine use and with the outcome variables of
     turnover, absenteeism, accidents, injuries, and discipline. 
     Potential confounders included age at hire, gender, race,
     job classification, smoking status, exercise habits and
     alcohol use or abuse.
     ...
                       DRUG TEST RESULTS
     Demographic 
     Characteristics   Negative   Marijuana  Cocaine   Other
     Sex   M           65.7%      73.7%      60.0%     65.9%
           F           34.3%      26.3%      40.0%     34.1%
     Race  White       90.1%      88.4%      83.6%     90.9%
           Black        5.6%      11.1%      16.4%      7.3%
           Asian        4.4%       0.5%       0.0%      1.8%
     Smoker            30.7%      47.7%      40.0%     45.4%
     Non-smoker        69.3%      52.3%      60.0%     54.6%
     ...
     In our study, we have not been able to control for the
     possible confounding effect of alcoholism.  A substantial
     body of literature suggests that alcohol abuse correlates
     with the abuse of other substances.  Other literature
     suggests that alcoholics have poor employment outcomes.  We
     did not obtain alcohol levels in the test urine samples. 
     Also, we did not administer any validated alcoholism
     questionnaires because we did not think they would provide
     accurate information in the context of a pre-employment
     examination. ...
     ...
     The findings of this study suggest that many of the claims
     cited to justify pre-employment drug screening have been
     exaggerated.  Drug users have been reported to be involved
     in 200% to 300% more industrial accidents, to sustain 400%
     more compensatable injuries, and to use 1500% more sick
     leave.  We found that those with marijuana positive urine
     samples have 55% more industrial accidents, 85% more
     injuries, and a 78% increase in absenteeism.  For those with
     cocaine-positive urine samples, there was a 145% increase in
     absenteeism and an 85% increase in injuries.  These findings
     could be used to reevaluate ... the cost-effectiveness of
     pre-employment drug screening.
[9]  JAMA, November 28, 1990 Vol 264(20) pp 2676-2677 ``Pre-
employment Drug Screening'' by Eric D. Wish, Ph.D
     ...
     
     ... factors suggest that pre-employment drug testing may
     have limited potential in the United States.  First,
     employers should remember that a single positive urine test
     provides limited information about a particular employee's
     level of drug use. ... Furthermore, lifestyle issues may
     contribute to an employee's drug use as well as to his or
     her poor job performance.  Unfortunately, a medical review
     officer-type review is not required for firms testing
     private sector employees, and job applicants may be denied
     positions on the basis of a single positive test result,
     without their knowledge and without the right of appeal.
[10] THE NATION September 24 pg. 300  BELTWAY BANDITS by David
Cobs
     War Profiteering.  Back in June, before Saddam Hussein was
     even a glint in the eyes of depressed military contractors,
     entrepreneur Max Franklin, a former analyst for I.B.M.,
     placed an ad in DEFENSE NEWS, a trade weekly.  ``The arsenal
 >>> Continued to next message...
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