Drug Tests

Why should American workers be compelled to submit to drug tests? Removing a part of an employee's body for testing--even so insignificant a part as hair or urine--seems to contradict some of the nation's most revered protections of individual privacy. Moreover, drug tests are often unreliable, are liable to be misused for discriminatory purposes, and could be employed as tools of intimidation. At the same time, however, concerns about public safety might appear in certain instances to override the desire to protect individuals' rights to privacy. As such, drug testing would seem to be justifiable for employees whose work performances potentially affect the safety of members of the public. This paper explores the controversy over drug testing, examining those conditions that would justify a company testing its employees for drugs. It also demonstrates that in recent years employers, policymakers, and America's legal system have moved drug testing far beyond justifiable boundaries.…