COERCED TREATMENT KEEPS MANY PEOPLE WORKING SAFELY

Re: Law allows mandatory drug tests, minister says, Oct. 19

I am commonly asked to assess those in safety sensitive positions, to
determine whether or not they suffer from addiction disorders. The
request for such an assessment is always some behaviour on the part of
an employee that would suggest impairment due to drug or alcohol use.
When the assessment confirms the presence of an addiction disorder,
the employee is referred for treatment and then returns to work with a
monitoring contract in place that allows for random drug screens.

Although assessment and post-treatment monitoring reassures the
employer that these employees are no longer a hazard to themselves or
others because of drinking or drug use, the most significant outcome
of such a process is a healthy and happy employee.

There are hundreds of physicians, nurses, lawyers and professional
drivers working in this province (and others) whose families are
enormously grateful for coerced treatment and a year or two of
post-treatment monitoring.

DOUGLAS COLEMAN, MD

Burnaby