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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Big Brother fear as employers plan to triple drug tests
Steve Bird The Times
Tuesday 29 Jun 2004 THE number of British workers to be tested for drugs could triple as employers take on a "Big Brother" role and pry into the private lives of staff, a report claimed yesterday. The Independent Inquiry into Drug Testing at Work carried out an 18-month investigation which found that 78 per cent of firms would consider testing workers, particularly those who are unproductive. It says that companies risk souring relations with employees by using cheap drug kits to detect alcohol, cocaine, Ecstasy and cannabis. The report says that "we could be on the cusp of an explosion of drug testing in the UK", and concludes that workplace drug tests could become part of working life. The authors heard evidence from employers, employees, companies which make drug testing kits, trade unions, police, doctors, lawyers and drug experts. A MORI poll for the inquiry found that one in twenty-five companies tested workers but one in eight would start within a year. More than 30 per cent of employers felt that drug testing did not affect employees' human rights. The report concluded that, while testing had a role where safety or public trust was a key issue, it was not relevant for most occupations, where it would simply be intruding into the private lives of workers. The Government was urged to set out guidelines on testing, and the report said that the drug testing industry, which had embarked on an "aggressive marketing" campaign, should be regulated. The use of illicit drugs and unhealthy alcohol consumption was widespread in Britain, it said, but excessive drinking was of greater concern than drug abuse. Recent surveys found that more than a quarter of those aged between 16 and 24 had taken drugs in the past year and more than a third of those aged between 18 and 24 were binge drinkers. Alcohol abuse was believed to cost the economy UKP20 billion a year. Ruth Evans, chairwoman of the inquiry, said: "We are in danger of slipping into a situation where employers are taking on a quasi-policing role with respect to the private lives of their staff." The inquiry was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Network of European Foundations with the help of the charity DrugScope. DETECTION TIMES Alcohol ... 6 hours to 1 day Amphetamines ... 1 to 4 days Cocaine ... 2 to 5 days LSD ... 1 to 4 days Marijuana ... up to 30 days Ecstasy ... 1 to 4 days Opiates (including heroin) ... 1 to 4 days
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