CITY'S DRUG POLICY SIMPLY IGNORES REALITY

The Daily Mail's July 5 editorial, "Drug tests: Charleston's policy is
working for the public and employees," ignores reality.

Admit it. Employee drug tests do not generally catch the drug alcohol,
which was mentioned or linked to drug use in the column no less than seven
times.

The fact is that this type of testing will expose only marijuana use, since
metabolites stored in fatty cells remain in the user's system sometimes
more than several weeks.

The article therefore implies that a potential employee who used marijuana,
whether yesterday or two weeks ago, is not sober.

That is about as ridiculous as the idea that someone who tests negative for
alcohol yet got hammered last night should be allowed to operate heavy
machinery.

So while you are busy keeping some of your better employees from working
for the city of Charleston, remember that you have just increased the
percentage of those who will be bingeing before and after work, and popping
pills that don't show up in tests.

Jose Melendez DeLand, Fla.