COLLEGE STUDENTS’ATTITUDES TOWARD EMPLOYEE DRUG TESTING PROGRAMS

Abstract

Drug testing programs are becoming increasingly popular, but little is known about attitudes toward various aspects of common testing programs. This study examined college students’attitudes toward several aspects of drug testing programs. Results indicate that testing is seen, under some circumstances, as appropriate and necessary. However, attitudes toward most aspects of testing were characterized by extreme variability. Virtually all aspects of drug testing programs are strongly accepted by some individuals and strongly rejected by others. Furthermore, attitudes toward employee drug testing do not appear to vary as a function of employment experience, qualifications, or political inclinations, and are not strongly related to the individual's exposure to others’drug use. One of the few consistent correlates of approval of employee drug testing was the individual's drug use; self‐report frequency of drug use was negatively correlated with the acceptability of employee drug testing.