Subcommittees of the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine have completed a study assessing the extent of drug use in the workplace, and the impact of drug abuse on job performance. Drug testers may be a little upset by some of its conclusions, since the study raises important questions about the scientific rationale for workplace drug testing. Workplace drug testing is a very big business. No study has ever demonstrated that this decrease is due to the work testing program, nor has it been demonstrated with any certainty that, in commonly used doses, any of the widely abused drugs significantly impacts on job performance. There is, however, good evidence that drug users are more likely to be absent from work, and there is also good evidence that alcohol abuse is associated with increased occupational injuries.
Somebody has to do the studies to prove that the whole process works.
NIDA has just as big a vested interest in maintaining the status quo as the drug testing companies, and the reagent manufacturers. In fact, it may be too late to ever do the studies that would justify the money and effort being spent on these programs.