NCJ Number
110747
Journal
Security Management Volume: 32 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1988) Pages: 107-109
Date Published
1988
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Businesses can deter drug use among their employees through written policies regarding employee drug use, the dismissal or arrest of drug-abusing employees, and effective auditing techniques.
Abstract
A recent Federal study estimated that up to 23 percent of all workers in the United States use dangerous drugs on the job. Some effects of this are deterioration of quality control, increased product liability, a higher accident rate, poor attendance, and employee theft. Management can counter this problem by having a written policy statement regarding the company's position on drug abuse. The statement should apply to any and all forms of narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, or alcohol. It should prohibit working under the influence of any drug that adversely affects job performance; the purchase, sale, use, possession, or solicitation of these drugs on company premises; and the use of business communication media for drug solicitation. The dismissal or arrest of drug users is not sufficient to address the problem. Businesses must use effective auditing techniques that reveal and document losses, obtain signed and notarized affidavits from persons without threats or promises of any kind, ferret out drug users and sellers, recover the maximum amount the company is entitled to under its fidelity bond, and establish enforceable preventive controls that protect the firm's assets.