What is Drug and Alcohol Testing
Numerous people have started to make drinking alcohol and smoking different types of herbs a habit. These two acts have started to turn into a habit for some because of the effects that these substances have on a person’s body and mind.
For instance, drinking and taking drugs can cause a reduction in the stress levels of the consumers of these substances. Thus, people tend to use these substances to reduce their stress and anxiety, relieve their nerves, or enjoy their time.
Even though some might argue that drugs and alcohol can be considered good for people’s health, overusing them can cause more damage. To understand whether a person is staying within their body’s limits of drug and alcohol intake, it is important to keep track of the amount they consume.
Traditionally, people went to medical facilities to get a drug and alcohol test done. However, nowadays, people can purchase a drug and alcohol testing kit to perform the test by themselves. By using a testing kit at home, people are able to get quick results, with many other benefits.
Testing kits have become a convenient product for numerous environments. In other words, businesses and organizations, athletic teams, and other environments where monitoring drugs and alcohol in a person’s body is important have started to become the target customers of this product.
How Commonly Does Substance Abuse Occur in a Workplace
As the number of people who consume drugs and alcohol has increased, companies and organizations have started to pay attention to the sobriety of their employees. Even though the intake of these substances may be legal in some countries, companies have thought it best to minimize the number of people who use them in the workplace.
To elaborate, the latest statistics of people who have used drugs and alcohol in the workplace have reached around an average of 70% of the employed population. The consequences of the high percentage of substance abuse have negatively affected an organization’s productivity and profitability and have had negative effects on some countries’ overall economies.
Thus, the common occurrence of substance abuse in the workplace has caused companies to make periodic tests a requirement for all their employees to reduce the risks associated with it.
The Importance of Integrating the Usage of Drug and Alcohol Tests in a Workplace
As mentioned beforehand, substance abuse by employees of an organization brings numerous disadvantages to a company’s profitability.
Ever since some companies made the decision to require drug and alcohol tests from their employees, these companies have witnessed a boost in employee productivity and motivation, a reduction in the number of absentees, better daily outcomes, and overall better employee morale.
Even though some companies received backlash for implementing a periodic drug and alcohol testing decision, the benefits associated with the decision surpassed its costs and made company workplaces safer and more successful.
How are Drug Tests Connected to Workplace Safety
Additionally, understanding which employees are using drugs and alcohol by doing tests has caused companies to create a safer working environment for other employees.
In other words, those employees who had positive results by using the drug and alcohol tool kit were given a warning – and if these employees proceeded to have positive test results, they were let go.
The connection between letting go of these employees and ensuring a safe workplace for others was that other employees did not have to fear employees who did not have control over their actions and emotions. On the other hand, reducing substance abuse by an organization’s employees resulted in fewer accidents – either work-related or not work-related – in the office.
Thus, to ensure workplace safety, it is essential to implement the decision to do constant tests for employees. To understand which type of test is better for employees, it is best to research the different types of test kits available in the market.
Different Types of Drug and Alcohol Tests:
1- Blood or Urine Testing
One of the most commonly used types is the blood or urine testing. This type of test kit will provide the most accurate answers for drug or alcohol testing since the testing material is drawn from the inside of a person.
To use this kit, users will be required to either pluck their fingers with a needle to provide a small amount of blood for the kit. The small amount of blood will be tested and provide the right answers for the users.
2- Saliva Tests
Saliva tests are another method that ensures an accurate answer for users. To use a saliva tool kit, users will have to dab a cotton swab into their mouth and collect the right amount of saliva to use for testing.
Even though saliva tests provide accurate answers, the effects of drugs and alcohol might not stay for long periods inside the saliva, which can lead to lower accuracy of results compared to blood tests.
3- Breathalyzer Tests
A breathalyzer test is the easiest type of testing kit for organizations to use to test employees’ drug and alcohol intake. To use this type, employees will have to breathe through a tube, and the tool will calculate and provide the percentage of alcohol and drugs quickly.
Conclusion
As the number of people who are using drugs and alcohol is increasing, companies need to control and provide testing methods for their employees to ensure a safer workplace and profitable outcomes.
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