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  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Drug screens and the way things should be
  • Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:05:14 -0400



Rob wrote:
At 9/29/2009 09:54 PM,EarthNSky wrote:

If it is accepted that you and I must be subjected for drug testing in
order to get our paycheck, why is it not accepted that those who receive
government assistance in the form of welfare or unemployment be
subjected to the same random screening and terms?

Why should anyone have to 'prove' that they did not use illegal drugs in the past (whatever time they show up for)?

I had to list all medications, prescription and OTC taken in the last 10 days.

Why should anyone have
to provide a sample of anything so someone (or thing in the case of a government body) can use it against them?

To answer your question, obviously, rightly or wrongly, they assume that if you are willing to break the law to use illegal drugs, or if you use prescription drugs incorrectly, then you may have an addiction problem and/or you might be willing to break the law to do other things, like acquiring money from their business or steal from their business to support your drug use.
Additionally, alcohol is a drug, and alcohol use increases the risk factors for other things like insurance premiums, both for the employee and the employer. At least, that is what I've been told.
There are some companies now who go further than the typical alcohol and drug testing and are now including cigarettes in the mix. CNN is one of those companies. Smokers are not hired. People would argue, not me now mind you, but people, would argue that yes, the knowledge is used against the one who uses, but it is for their own good and the good of all. I see that argument, I'm just not sure I buy into it 100%.


If anyone has to submit their body to be tested for illegal drug use it ought to be the whole legislative & executive branches of the government, the people (and their staff) who make the laws.

Absolutely. However, if that were the case, and we kicked out our legislators for drinking or having alcohol in their system, we wouldn't have half of the laws we do today. Senator Kennedy's contributions surely would be in the 'loss' column. Like Bush, he did later sober up, and that's great, but I am in full agreement that all aspects of government should be tested. Perhaps the loss of a long sought after job will be the motivating factor for people to sober up.


I can see testing to see if someone is under the influence of something "right now" because of an accident or some other mishap.

That's a given. But very often poor judgment from drug and alcohol use is not quite so dramatic. Have you ever worked for an alcoholic? They can make your life miserable depending on how hung over they are. It can be like living with a physical abuser. One day they are nice, and the next they batter the crap out of you. Verbally, of course, but it takes a toll nonetheless. In an industrial or construction environment, having a drunken or hungover supervisor is just down right dangerous.

Like I wrote in my other post, my husband must be drug tested because he drives customer's vehicles, and being under the influence would endanger not only his life, but their property and the life of innocent people. Of course, the dealership is reducing their liability as well. I'm sure a lot of testing is about liability.

In Lynn's former lines of work, it seems that she is mostly a writer, and writing doesn't physically endanger anyone, unless one is a technical writer, but then there are proofreaders and editors to catch dangerous omissions there. Perhaps there are regional differences, too. I don't know.

B





--
Sleep well tonight, for somewhere in the ocean's depths, MY son is protecting your freedom on the USS Key West, currently deployed somewhere in the Pacific and/or Indian Ocean. Go Navy!
EarthNSky Farm, NW Georgia, USA





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