During the study period, the Postal Service hired job applicants regardless of whether they passed or failed their drug tests. The results indicated that employees who tested positive for marijuana had 55 percent more industrial accidents than the group of non-using employees. They also had 85 percent more injuries, a 55 percent greater discipline rate, and a 78 percent increase in absenteeism. For the cocaine-positive group, absenteeism was l45 percent higher and there were 85 percent more injuries. Drug and alcohol abuse is a bottom-line issue for employers, and no workplace is immune to it.
Employers have a vested interest in eliminating the problem.
The impetus for these programs has grown tremendously in the past few years. They have spread from the federal government and large corporations to small and medium-sized businesses. Acknowledgements We wish to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of Calvina L. Fay, former Executive Director of Houston's Drug-Free Business Initiative in compiling this manual.