U.S. FIRMS TEST MORE FOR DRUGS IN CANADA

A University of Victoria survey showed the controversial practice of
workplace drug testing was most frequent in Canadian companies that
had their head office in the United States.

While Canada debates decriminalization of marijuana in contrast to
the American War on Drugs, the survey found provinces with the
highest percentage of firms with a U.S. head office -- B.C. and
Alberta -- also had the top levels of drug testing of employees. This
despite what the report's author said is a lack of evidence of
testing necessity or efficacy.

"A lot of U.S conglomerates coming up to Canada . . . are trying to
adopt the same policies, but the laws are different here," said Dr.
Scott Macdonald, assistant director of research at the university's
Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. "In order to have drug testing
(in Canada), it has to be reasonably related to the requirements of the work."

Conducted in 2003, the first national survey discovered 10 per cent
of the firms overall had drug testing, with the highest provincial
rate in Alberta at 25 per cent. B.C. was second at 17.9 per cent.
Macdonald found U.S.-run firms were twice as likely -- 18.2 per cent
to 9.2 per cent -- to impose testing as those headquartered elsewhere.