International professional and amateur athletic organizations and tournaments screen competitors for drugs of abuse. Most institutions want to promote a safe, healthy and productive work environment for their employees. Drug use can affect that environment, so many companies have drug testing programs to screen job applicants and to protect employees. Companies with such programs report dramatic reductions in employee accidents, fewer sick days, and healthier employees. Successful plans tend to emphasize prevention of drug abuse, rather than punishment, as a means of promoting better health for individual employees.
Companies benefit from increased productivity, safety and lower liability costs.
Seventy percent of the Fortune 500 companies screened job applicants for drugs in 1991, up from 10 percent in 1983. How They Work Saliva and breath tests, used in checking for alcoholic intoxication, are not commonly accepted as screens for drugs of abuse. The remaining options include urine screening and blood testing. Urine testing is preferable for large-scale use. Because the collection of a urine specimen does not require the puncturing of skin, licensed medical personnel are not required to administer the test and there is no danger of infection.