Worker Drug Use and Workplace Drug-Testing Programs: Results from the 1994 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse

Abstract

Workplace drug-testing programs in the United States have proliferated over the past 10–15 years. It appears that many companies see drug-testing programs as an effective policy for deterring illicit drug use among their employees. However, there is little empirical research that has examined the relationship between drug-testing programs and worker drug use. Using data from the 1994 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), this paper examines the associations among drug use, drug-testing programs, and perceptions of programs. The results suggest that weekly users of marijuana or cocaine are less likely than others to work for companies that have drug-testing programs. In general, users of marijuana and cocaine are also less likely to want to work for such companies. These findings suggest a deterrent effect of drug-testing programs, although the mechanisms underlying this deterrent effect remain unknown.