DRUG TESTING: 'LIKE HEALTH INSURANCE' FOR COMPANY

LOWELL -- Coordinators at Lowell Medical Center's Drug Free Workplace
Program say they've advised 3,918 different companies on drug policies and
screening. But it's the companies they didn't talk to that they worry about.

Greg Hoggart, the program's education assistant, tells a story about a
worker at a small woodworking business. The worker lost a couple of fingers
in a band-saw accident at work. Turns out he was high on marijuana at the
time, Hoggart said. The company had no drug policy, and after a hefty
compensation ruling in the employee's favor, there was no company, either.

In business, where one drug-related accident can damage or even destroy a
company, legislation has made having a drug policy a nearly indispensable
safeguard. And as more businesses realize the benefits of a drug-free
workplace, drug screening has earned broader acceptance than in its
lawsuit-ridden days of the early '90s. Some two-thirds of companies now
test for illegal substances, according to a 2000 American Management
Association report.

"It's like health insurance for your company," Hoggart said. "You may not
want it, but it's a good thing to have."

A DANGEROUS POSITION

It's especially good when considering the results of a recent U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services survey. The National Household Survey
on Drug Abuse revealed that 74 percent of illicit drug users were full-time
employees. The 18-year-old to 25-year-old population segment -- the largest
new-employee pool -- was the only age group that increased its drug use
from 1994 to 1998.

That can leave companies that don't screen for drugs in a dangerous
position, warns Michiele Shrieber, coordinator of the Lowell Medical
Center's drug-free program. Especially vulnerable are small businesses,
which make up only 5 percent of the companies that test for drugs.

Many employees in large corporations are required to pass screens under
federal law. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation
Authority require that safety-sensitive workers --truckers and pilots, for
example -- get regular tests. The mandate requires a five-panel test, which
screens urine for marijuana, PCP, cocaine, opiates and amphetamines. More
sensitive tests exist, but tend to be specific to different professions,
such as those tests performed in professional sports.

Potential employees who abuse illicit drugs tend to stay away from large
companies because of their vigilance. Word of mouth, even Web sites alert
illicit drug users to companies that do prehiring drug screens. And since
drug use is often a social function, Shrieber said, companies that don't
screen often attract more than their share of substance abusers. According
to the Health & Human Services report, 87 percent of full-time employed
illicit drug users worked for companies with less than 500 employees.

Those same employees were 10 times more likely to miss work, according to
an American Council for Drug Education report. They were 3.6 times more
likely to be involved in an accident. And they filed five times as many
workers' compensation claims. Keeping a drug-free environment can help
increase productivity and cut down on claims, the study concluded.

SMALL BUSINESS BENEFIT

Small businesses can also reap direct monetary benefits. For example, Act
1552 of the state legislature's 1999 regular session says that a company
that writes a comprehensive drug policy, institutes a drug education
program and tests every employee can receive at least a 5-percent cut from
its workers' compensation premiums. Drug testing qualifies many companies
for bonuses from insurers. And under Rule 36 of Act 1552, a company that
administers post-accident screens insulates itself against drug-based
liability claims.

Even so, many small businesses balk. Many temporary staffing agencies find
it too expensive to test every new applicant -- there are just too many.
But others who can logistically swing it often worry about the legacy of
drug-testing litigation, Shrieber said. Some just never realize the
benefits. But most companies worry about the cost. "Cost is not a factor in
testing," she said.

The average price of a drug test is around $35 per employee, according to
Nancy Grover, editor of the Florida-based publication Workplace Substance
Abuse Advisor. The Lowell Medical Center charges $30 for a drug test and
$20 for an alcohol screen.

"They think when they start [screening] they need a mass test," Shrieber
said. "They only need to test on hire, after an accident or when they have
a reason to think an employee is abusing drugs."

For a 20-employee company that turns over four employees in a year, Hoggart
explains, the financial reward alone can be significant. The savings on
workers' compensation premiums could reach $700, he said. But the best
benefit is protecting the company against liability. "Four new screens
would only be $150 to $160," Hoggart said.

Like the woodworking company Hoggart remembers, those claims can put a
small business out of business. "If you don't screen these days, it's like
playing with a loaded gun," he said.