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Conference quark::human_relations-v1

Title:	What's all this fuss about 'sax and violins'?
Notice:	Archived V1 - Current conference is QUARK::HUMAN_RELATIONS
Moderator:	ELESYS::JASNIEWSKI

Created:	Fri May 09 1986
Last Modified:	Wed Jun 26 1996
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1327
Total number of notes:	28298

162.0. "DRUG TESTING IN THE WORKPLACE" by PULSAR::CFIELD (Corey) Wed Nov 26 1986 06:26

    The President's Commission on Organized Crime proposed that all
    employees of the federal government and those employees of private
    companies that contract with the federal government be regularly
    subjected to urine tests for drugs as a condition of employment.
    
    As much as twenty-five percent of major American companies have
    adopted this policy, presumably to remedy impaired job performance
    that is the result of drug abuse.
    
    The most commonly used method of drug testing is the EMIT kit which
    is not that reliable.  The EMIT kit gives false positive results
    as much as thirty percent of the time.  For example, over-the-counter
    cough medicine can show up as heroine, certain antibiotics show
    up as cocaine, and as many as eleven different legal substances
    may show up as marijuana.
    
    My question is "Do you think it is unfair to force millions of American
    workers who are not even suspected of using drugs, and whose job
    performance is satisfactory, to submit to this degrading and intrusive
    urine tests on a regular basis?"  Is this an invasion of privacy?
    This may be the easiest way to identify drug users, but in my opinion
    it is most un-American!

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
162.1	Stick to the Human Relations topic, please.	VAXRT::CANNOY	The more you love, the more you can.	`Wed Nov 26 1986 07:23`	7
	This issue can only be discussed here, if we stick to the implications of drug testing on HUMAN RELATIONS in our lives. If the discussion gets too political or heated, the note will be write locked and the discussion referred to SOAPBOX, where the political flames are welcome and the issue has been discussed already. Tamzen Cannoy, co-moderator
162.2		APEHUB::STHILAIRE		`Wed Nov 26 1986 14:26`	7
	I think this practice is a gross invasion of privacy that would upset me very much and therefore be a detriment to all of my human relations. Lorna
162.3	Go for it Lorna!	SPIDER::PARE		`Wed Nov 26 1986 14:52`	1
	Right on Lorna!!! Tell it like it is!
162.4	Nah	TIGEMS::SCHELBERG		`Thu Dec 04 1986 13:04`	7
	Sounds like a lie detector test not too accurate....I say no way...because it's not accurate and not only that it is an invasion of privacy......what if someone is a drug addict and wants to get help does that mean he gets fired instead of helped? bs
162.5		USMRW1::RSCHAVONE		`Thu Dec 04 1986 16:08`	6
	Since I tend to view an employment relationship as the employer renting the services of the employee, I don't feel drug testing has a place in the work environment. rgds, Ray
162.6	X=Y or Z or T or whatever...	HERMES::CLOUD	insert commercial here...	`Mon Dec 08 1986 22:42`	8
	I just read in Playboy (I think) that quite a number of prescription drugs can come across (in a test) as any one of America's favorite recreational drugs. IE...Motrin or Aspirin can be detected as marijuana. I can pull out the article and be more precise, but I think you get the drift.... Phil
162.7	Poppyseed = heroin	SKYLRK::BILL	Jim Bill, SWS, Santa Clara, CA	`Tue Dec 16 1986 18:48`	1
	Poppyseed rolls test as heroin...
162.8	huh?	ARGUS::COOK	Dreadful Mourning	`Wed Dec 17 1986 02:45`	7
	I didn't see a 8^) Are you serious??? Peter
162.9	I think it's true.	SQM::AITEL	Helllllllp Mr. Wizard!	`Wed Dec 17 1986 11:36`	7
	I've heard about the poppy seeds also. I don't think that the seeds come from opium poppies (and they're toasted, anyhow), but many of the compounds would still be the same. I've also heard that Midol tests as something.... --Louise
162.10	pass the syringe please	SPMFG1::CHARBONND	Shakin' the bush, boss	`Fri Jan 30 1987 14:41`	9
	Poppy seed rolls !!! you #$%& junkies will do anything for a fix :-) Doesn't surprise me, since opium->morphine->heroin and opium comes from poppies. Remember OZ ? Micro quantities in a roll to be sure, but noone has mentioned that drug testing is qualitative, not quantitative. Eat at your peril.
162.11		NEXUS::GORTMAKER		`Fri Jan 30 1987 23:31`	5
	As I understand it from reading national geographic the poppie seeds on dinner rolls DO NOT contain opium. it comes from the opium poppie Of which plants and seeds are illegal to cultivate or own.
162.12	No opium and I still passed the test !!!!	MOJAVE::PURMAL		`Sun Feb 01 1987 16:35`	7
	re .11: Although the poppy seeds in dinner rolls do not contain opium, they do contain something which will cause a positive result for opium. The question I have is how many poppy seeds must be injested by the average person to produce the false positive?