TEST FOR IMPAIRMENT, NOT FOR DRUG USE

Schenectady International Inc. recently imposed a random drug testing
requirement for all workers.

The Fourth Amendment guarantees us that we have a right to privacy,
unless there is probable cause. Drug tests violate our constitutional
right to privacy and presumption of innocence.

The worker is forced to defend himself against a charge without any
evidence or suspicion. Workers are now treated as guilty until proven
innocent. While lower courts have established random drug tests as
unconstitutional for many state and federal agencies, unfortunately
the Constitution only protects citizens of the government and not of
private companies.

Contrary to what companies that test would have us believe, drug
tests are not foolproof. In fact, only 85 percent of the laboratories
in the United States currently testing for drugs meet federal
standards for accuracy. And since private companies are not required
to use certified labs, workers are being asked to put their job
security in the hands of a test that has insufficient quality
controls.

Drug testing has never been shown to improve workplace safety or
productivity. Drug tests cannot distinguish between on-the-job use
and private consumption. Drug tests do not detect alcohol, our
nation's leading drug of abuse, nor do they detect fatigue or stress
(the cause of one-third of all workplace accidents). Not only do drug
tests not accomplish what they are intended to do, they actually
create a negative effect on the workplace by decreasing worker
morale, wasting huge sums of money, and taking the focus off employee
performance.

Companies such as Schenectady International Inc. should consider an
alternative to drug tests that does not invade privacy or compromise
Fourth Amendment rights, known as impairment tests. These are
computer-based, employee-operated tests that measure hand-eye
coordination, visual tracking ability, and basic cognitive skills.
They can be used daily and they provide immediate feedback, unlike
drug tests, which can take days or weeks. Also, by focusing solely on
performance, impairment tests detect impairment not only from drug
consumption, but also from fatigue, emotional stress, and legal drugs
such as alcohol and antihistamines.

These tests have lowered accidents by as much as 67 percent and
workplace errors by over 50 percent.

A.J. SCHELL
Scotia