drug tests 28 by Articles Uncovered
Published Date: 04/07/08
Drug tests
When I was in high school ten years ago, it was practically unheard of for anyone my age to be using drugs. Sure, we had parties and almost everyone was guilty of underage drinking, but drugs were way too controversial for us. My town was smaller, but right outside of Philadelphia, so drugs weren't complete unheard of - we just had better things to do. However, the same high school that I went to now has a substantial drug problem. I can't tell you how many kids have been caught with dealing drugs or having possession of illegal drugs. Some parents are starting to give their kids drug tests at home in order to keep things under control. I can't say why there is this sudden interest in this activity in my area, there just is. As crystal meth becomes more popular and is more affordable than other drugs, it has caused quite a stir in the small towns.
More and more employers across the nation are requiring drug tests be taken in order to finalize employment. I had been offered a wonderful job several years ago but told that it was contingent on whether or not I passed my drug test. Of course, I had no problem passing the drug tests, but my new company was very strict. Four years later, they still make new hires take drug tests. Many people will argue that employers should not care about or need to know about what someone does on their own time. They feel that if they aren't engaging in any illegal activities while at work then why the need for drug tests? I can understand that to a certain degree. Yet, I certainly wouldn't want to hire someone who has evidence of drug usage in their systems. I happen to know an individual who smokes pot every evening. He has never done it outside of his residence and is one of the most dedicated and hard-working people I know. He is excellent at his professional job. His employer has not a clue and as it is obviously not
affecting his career, they shouldn't have to know.
Of course, certain positions should require drug tests. In fact, there are many companies out there that do random and frequent drug tests because their employees work with the public. Police officers, doctors, nurses, pilots, and many others who have important positions in society should be given random drug tests - especially if we are trusting them with our lives.
What is most frightening to me, but wonderful for others, is that there are ways to "pass" drug tests. Certain companies have products available that cleanse your system quickly and guarantee that within a certain time period, you will pass. I suppose that means that there are quite a few people walking around with jobs that they should never have received. Of course, they just may be people whose recreational activities don't affect their professional activities in the least. It will always be a huge debate.
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