COST OF DRUG ABUSE
DRUGTESTING
Employers finding screenings ensure safer workplace
By DEBBIE KELLEY THE GAZETTE
Shawn Tomlinson is never sure when his number will come up. When it does, he gets an unplanned hair trim. “It’s really no big deal. It takes a few minutes and is more of an inconvenience because you have to stop what you’re doing,” said Tomlinson, a gold refiner who has worked at the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Co. since 1981. As a condition of employment, Tomlinson and the mine’s 299 other workers — from the top executive down — must consent to random drug testing by relinquishing a few locks of hair whenever a computer selects their employee number. “When we first started doing it in 1989, people thought it was getting into their private life. Then they got used to it, and now, it’s part of their work,” Tomlinson said. It’s been 20 years since employers began testing employees for drug and alcohol use to detect and control substance abuse. Since then, drug testing has become commonplace in the workplace. It is estimated that half of the nation’s work force is employed by firms that conduct drug testing. The intent: to improve employee absenteeism, productivity and job-site safety. COST OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE Substance abuse costs U.S. businesses more than $81 billion in lost productivity and turnover annually, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which estimates that 73 percent of drug users, or 8.1 million workers, are employed. Studies show that employees who abuse alcohol or drugs are more likely to have extended absences from work, show up late, be involved in workplace accidents and file workers’ compensation claims. “I don’t see anything wrong with drug testing — it’s a way for employers to
make sure they have a safe work environment and the operation isn’t hindered,” said Tony Nieves, a local UPS package handler who had to be tested to get his job. Several high-profile accidents in which drugs or alcohol were involved, including the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and a 1987 train collision in Maryland, brought awareness to the issue and spurred legislation. The federal government has had a Drug-Free Federal Workplace program since 1986. All federal employees are required to be drug tested. Contractors and those who receive grants from federal agencies also must provide drug-free workplaces. And companies with employees that use commercial-class drivers licenses must have a testing system. State and city governments have enacted programs, and many private-sector employers have followed suit, now performing drug testing before hiring candidates, after an accident while on the clock and at random during work hours. “Employers use drug testing to assist them in employing quality employees, ultimately saving the company money,” said Christy Manar, membership director for the Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association. The Washington, D.C.-based organization offers training, certification and accreditation programs for specimen collectors and others in the industry. ZERO TOLERANCE Although the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Co. has not done a cost analysis of its drug-testing practice, safety manager Larry Snyder said he knows a drug-free workplace reduces accidents and absenteeism. “A normal lost-time injury costs the company $30,000 to $45,000. We haven’t had one since Nov. 7, 2003,” he said. Each hair-sample test, which traces illicit drug usage in the previous 90 days, costs the mining company $50. Each month, 20 employees are randomly selected for testing. The company’s zero-tolerance policy means a failed test results in termination or withdrawal of a job offer, Snyder said, adding that happens primarily in preployment screenings. “Our employees support our policy because it ensures them a safe workplace,” he said. “You know you can rely on the people you’re working with and they won’t be high.” Most of Gerald H. Phipps Inc.’s 400 employees also appreciate the policing effort, said Gerideane Tracey, human resources manager. “We just don’t want that type of worker, even though the construction labor force is lean,” she said. Safety is a key motivation for the Colorado construction company that has offices in Colorado Springs and job sites along the Front Range. “It seems worthwhile — we know it cuts down on accidents,” Tracey said. The company does saliva testing before offering a job to a candidate and randomly tests employees monthly. Each test costs the company $21. A positive reading results in immediate layoff and referral to an employee assistance program for rehabilitation, with possible job reactivation. Drug testing also lowers the company’s workers compensation insurance, Tracey said. Drug testing can be one of many elements that decreases insurance premiums, said a spokeswoman from Pikes Peak Insurance. Many local companies are taking steps to get such a discount. Drug testing is often done after an accident at work because, in Colorado, workers compensation benefits may be reduced if an injury results while the employee is using an illegal substance. Employees found to be using drugs or alcohol also may be disqualified from unemployment compensation benefits. ADVANCED, INCREASED TESTING The nation’s drug-testing industry has grown from $661 million in 1996 to $766 million in 2006, according to a recent Market Data study. Urine specimen continues to be the most prevalent method, the Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association’s Manar said. “It has been around the longest and results have a track record of being upheld,” she said, adding that job site testing of oral fluids and hair is becoming more widespread. Testing has advanced to give accurate results, Manar said. “What many refer to as a ‘false positive’ is actually a positive for a certain substance that, when reviewed, is reported as negative due to situations where the employee has a prescription for a substance such as Tylenol with codeine,” she said. In that case, proof of a prescription for the medication can overturn a positive result. Most testers are privately owned companies that hold various accreditation and certification to ensure their processes are accurate, effective and “defensible in the case of a challenged result,” Manar said. Problems can arise if businesses veer from the industry standards, she added. For example, some employers use only a screening test and do not follow-up with a confirmation test, or do not have the results reviewed by a professional, she said. Business has steadily increased at H&L Drug Compliance Inc., said Jennifer Brown, operations manager of the Colorado Springs office. “A lot of companies find it important,” she said. “We’re seeing a wide range: pharmaceutical companies, construction, grocery store workers, computer businesses.” It’s difficult for people to slip under the radar when being drug-tested, Brown said, although she admits it can happen. “For the most part, we catch them,” she said. “It’s pretty hard to beat the system, but you do hear of people doing it.” Reaction is mixed from people who come to the lab for testing. “Some are surprised, especially if it’s the first time they’ve had to do it. Some are angry. Others are glad and think it’s a good thing,” Brown said. Substances most commonly traced are phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana and opiates. At H&L Drug Compliance, each test costs $20 to $70, depending on the type. Smaller companies and those with high turnover are less likely to invest in drug testing, Brown said. That’s one reason Compleat Games & Hobbies doesn’t screen its employees for drug use, said store manager Andy Gipe. “There’s the expense, but when you have a small business you have a more personal relationship with your employees, so the situation can be dealt with as it comes up,” he said. CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0235 or debbie.kelley@gazette.com
BY THE NUMBERS Cost of drug abuse to U.S. businessess: $81 billion annually in lost productivity and turnover Percent of drug abusers who work: 73 percent, or 8.1 million people Most prevalent drug test: Urinalysis Most common substances traced: Phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana and opiates
MARK REIS, THE GAZETTE - Jennifer Brown, operations manager for the Colorado Springs office of H&L Drug Compliance Inc., holds a device her company uses for an “instant test” of a urine sample for drug screening. H&L’s clients include pharmaceutical companies, construction firms and grocery store workers.
