Q A
How do we respect an employer’s right to a productive workplace and society’s interest in a safe workplace, and at the same time protect our fundamental right to privacy?
Te benefits to employers that drug test are numerous. Substance abusers
are one-third less productive than non- abusers and account for 40 percent of all workers’ compensation claims. According to the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, drug use costs U.S. business- es $100 billion annually. In order to create a fair balance for employers and employees, all workplace testing should start with a well- craſted drug prevention policy. To think that the employer’s interest is to only receive the benefits of a drug free workplace is a misun- derstanding. Non-drug using employees need to be protected from drug users who could cause safety issues in the workplace.
Q A
What about the critical argument that drug testing is a faulty means for screening out employees whose on-the-job performance is being impaired by drugs?
I asked Bob Dupont for his opin- ion on this mater. Dupont was
the second drug czar who served under presidents Nixon and Ford. He is currently the president of the Institute for Behavior and Health. Dupont stated that “[d]rug testing is not a silver bullet that alone solves the workplace problems created by drug use. It is a cost-effective part of a comprehensive drug-free workplace policy that includes education about the employer’s policy and a description of the drug testing program and of the consequences of failing a drug test.” As you can see from his statement, drug test- ing is only part of the solution. Drug testing isn’t only punitive, but it also rewards the employer and protects the non-drug using employee with a safer workplace.
www.datia.org
Q A
What’s your take on the proposed amendment to legalize medical marijuana in Florida?
Q A
I am against legalized marijuana. Te majority of the pro-marijuana
movement advances the message that we must legalize medical marijuana for the grandparents and others that suffer from cancer, AIDS and glaucoma. Te reality is only 6 percent of those using medical mar- ijuana in Colorado as of March 2014 are for AIDS, cachexia, cancer and glaucoma. Two percent are for seizures and the
remaining are for pain related conditions. Pain is subjective, and as the medical- marijuana proposition is written today, getting a marijuana prescription will be relatively simple. Do you remember the unscrupulous
pill mills of the past? Tey pushed heavy doses of oxycodone and related prescrip- tions that caused on average seven deaths per day in Florida. State Atorney General Pam Bondi successfully drove the pill mills out of Florida, but they will likely be replaced with marijuana mills should medical marijuana be passed in Florida. Floridians shouldn’t be fooled by the
“marijuana is good for you” message. The federal government has classified marijuana as a Class 1 drug, meaning it has high potential for abuse and no currently acceptable medical use in the United States. According to the federal
Governor Rick Scott of Florida also has been criticized for his intention to drug-test welfare applicants. What do you think of that policy?
First, I don’t believe that those who are receiving welfare assis-
tance should be using or abusing drugs. A study from the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse states that drug use is 50 percent more common in households with welfare recipients than in non-wel- fare households.
government, chronic marijuana use may increase the risk of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals and high doses of the drug can produce acute psychotic reaction. Further, the IQ of those using it during adolescence can drop as much as eight points later in life. Tese are just a few of the many health
issues caused by chronic marijuana abuse. As concerning, are the one in six adolescents that utilize marijuana and become addicted. Marijuana is legal for medical and recre- ational in Colorado and Washington. Te perception of marijuana in the adolescent population is changing due to legalization. According to the Monitoring the Future Survey of 2013, 60 percent of high school seniors say that marijuana is not harmful. Directly related to social messaging that marijuana is “safe,” one-third of high school seniors report smoking marijuana in the past year and 6.5 percent of high school seniors report they smoke marijuana daily. For the first time, marijuana use is higher than tobacco use among teens in the U.S. With legalized medical marijuana, the
social costs will be astronomical. The ef- fect on the Florida workforce will be felt greatly. Cost to employers will be enor- mous since the workforce will be filled with many more drug abusers who are less productive, cause more workplace accidents and increase risks. Please join me in rejecting medical marijuana for Florida citizens so that employers can be assured that they will enjoy the benefits of a drug free workplace, employees can work in safe drug free environments and that your family and mine can enjoy bet- ter health and safer roads. ❚
Best Regards,
Phil Dubois DATIA Chairman
datia focus 5
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