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U.K:Drug-test every worker, says police chief michael howie News Scotsman Saturday 17 May 2008 Chief Superintendent Valerie McHoull yesterday said the move would help to win the "war against drugs". The Lothian and Borders officer indicated that mandatory testing of public-sector workers would have "a significant impact on the culture and use ADVERTISEMENTof drugs". Speaking yesterday to a conference of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, of which she is president, Ms McHoull suggested voluntary drug-testing schemes should be also carried out in private companies, universities and sports clubs. The call follows a recent signal by senior police officers in Scotland to introduce drug-testing. Ms McHoull urged Kenny MacAskill, the justice secretary, to consider "progressing" drug-testing "across the whole public sector". She continued: "Testing across the public sector would have a significant impact on the culture and use of drugs and could even be extended to the private sector, which might be encouraged to adopt a voluntary code. "If all organisations, both public and private, including ultimately universities and sports clubs, introduced testing, then perhaps we could make more of an impact in the war against drugs from the demand end rather than the supply. Had the private sector had mandatory, or even possibly optional, drug-testing a decade ago, then the proliferation of cocaine use amongst young professionals might have been averted." She added: "It would take courage and I am in no doubt that there would be a strong civil-liberties argument against it, but Scotland had the courage to ban smoking in public places for the sake of the nation's health. If Scotland is to truly say no to drugs, then this measure might be a reasonable step to take." But Matt Smith, the Scottish secretary of the public-sector union Unison, said drug-testing was too expensive and ineffective. "I think Ms McHoull is mixing up the role of law enforcement and the role of employers. All those who have looked at this issue have concluded that mandatory drug-testing is not appropriate in the workplace. "It is unreliable … the tests only confirm that use has taken place in the past, not whether a person's ability to do the job is affected at the time." A Scottish Government spokesman said: "While we respect the argument, we are not convinced that mandatory drug-testing for all public-sector workers is a priority. "Where drug-use is suspected, there are disciplinary procedures and policies already in place to deal with it." BACKGROUND FEW organisations in Scotland test their staff for illegal drugs. Those that do usually involve jobs in which safety is a major issue – for example, at nuclear power plants or on North Sea oilrigs. However, drug-testing is being introduced in the Scottish police, and there have been sporadic calls for testing in schools. There are two main types of drug tests, involving urine and hair. Cannabis can be detected in urine several weeks after being consumed, while others such as amphetamine and cocaine remain only for a few days. Evidence of drugs hangs around much longer in hair. The legal position for drug testing is complicated. Employers have a justifiable interest in employees' drug use in certain circumstances. But the principles behind the current measures also state that employees are entitled to a private life and to dignity. http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Drugtest-every-worker-says-police.4094048.jp
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