Speech Script for my speech class. Will cite the websites if requested.
"You are guilty until proven innocent" - Wait. That doesn't sound right, does it? Well, that is exactally how some people want employees to be treated. Mandatory drug testing is not illegal in numerous US states, but allow me to convince you that it should be. It is my belief that as I convey to you the facts regarding testing in the workplace you will come to the same conclusion that I have - It is wrong.
Lets start with the most common reason that people give when asked why they don't oppose the tests. It is said that those who are abiding the law have nothing to fear. Do you want to urinate in a cup while someone watches you close enough to make sure you aren't pulling a fast one? Of course not. Well, law abiding citizen or not the protocol is the same, and I'd say that loss of dignity and invasion of privacy are two things worth some concern.
But what about the drugs' imparing effects, you say? According to an article on about.com, my fellow opponants to this practice argue that workplace drug testing is not the proper way to check for sobriety. All it proves it that somewhere, at some time, the person did a drug, and I agree. Avitarinc.com shows that many drugs, including Meth and Heroin, can test positive for up to two days. Marijuana up to 5 weeks. In my opinion, what I do outside of work is none of work's concern, so if I am not affected there, specifically, they have no right to know about it.
Also, if employers were only concerned about the impairment of their employees, they still would have a big obstacle to overcome. Prescription drugs can be just as dangerous as illegal drugs, however according to marijuananews.com legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, may protect employees who are working under the influence of potentially imparing drugs. In light of this, I don't see how it's possible that workplace safety is the only motive for the tests.
Even the method of testing that is used does not indicate that safety is the primary concern. The American Civil Liberties Union states that because urine testing is based on an analysis of metabolites associated with the drugs, not the drugs themselves, and because alcohol, cocaine, meth, and heroin pass through the body withing 24-48 hours, marijuana is the only drug easily detected with urinalysis. Drugs that have a more significant impact on employment and work performance, such as alcohol and other illegal drugs, are not effectively tested for using urinalysis.
Perhaps the most convincing argument is that it isn't even proven that company drug policies aid in preventing drug usage. The ACLU also says that the National Academy of Sciences could not find evidence of deterrent effects. Studies that appeared doing so usually did not take into accound for expansion of testing groups, or from the movement from cause-only testing, to suspicionless, random testing.
So as you can see, mandatory drug testing is detrimental overall, and does not produce the results that are believed to be its goals. I hope, however, that I have acheived my goal and changed the minds that needed changing.
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