NOT SO FAST ON DRUG TESTING

EVERYONE SEEMS to be calling for random drug testing of Boston fire
department employees, but there should be some dissent. Studies show
that without-cause drug testing is not effective at reducing illegal
drug use. Nor, contrary to popular belief, does it protect public
safety or improve employee performance.

Testing does not test for drugs in a person's system; rather, it
detects byproducts of past use. So drug testing does not detect
employee impairment on the job, which can be caused by factors
including illness, over-the-counter medications, or lack of sleep.

If city officials want to protect the safety of the public and
employees, they might consider using performance-based testing that
would detect impairment, regardless of the cause, usually by sitting
an employee in front of a computer screen and testing various
reaction times. Random, without-cause drug testing should not be
imposed on fire department or other employees without analyzing the
cost and effectiveness of such programs in comparison to impairment testing.

SARAH WUNSCH Staff attorney ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts Boston