Nothing more than a new address.
This year’s Christmas card was far simpler than anything than you have ever sent before. Although you want to make sure that your friends and family members have your new address so that you can hear about their news and achievements, you have nothing you want to share with them. The years of long letters explaining the accomplishments of your three sons are a thing of the past. And while two of your sons certainly have great careers and exciting lives of travel, your oldest son has fallen into a deep hole that has sucked away much of the joy of this, and the past three, Christmas seasons.
To admit to your friends and family that you have a son with an addiction problem is more than difficult. To answer the questions about the fact that he is living on his own, he is not working, and that you have no idea how he is paying his rent is impossible.
Hair Follicle Drug Tests and Other Kinds of Screenings Help Protect Both Individuals and Employers
Employers and individuals who are in need of drug testing kits, or information need to know that they have results that they can depend on for the sake of their workers, customers, and themselves. Unfortunately, with the recent opioid crisis there are hidden problems in many people. And while some people are doing their best to carry on normal lives in spite of their addiction, the ramifications of continued drug use eventually surface. For an employer who is responsible for children and other vulnerable individuals, hidden drug use can be especially problematic.
For these reasons, the accurate administration of hair follicle drug tests, urine drug tests, and various kinds of rapid drug screens are important. From alcohol testing to background checks, there are a number of important health screens that are used in today’s workforce. Given that many drugs remain in the system from two to four days and that chronic use of marijuana can stay in the system for four weeks or longer after the last use means that hair follicle drug tests and other methods can be pretty effective.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the many times when drug testing can help screen for new employees and help maintain a safer work environment:
- Research indicates that employed drug users are absent from work 20 times more often than their drug-free colleagues, serving as a liability for the company where they are employed.
- Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The latest research, in fact, shows that 22.2 million people have used it in the past month alone.
- 774,000 people aged 12 and older were current meth users in 2017, according to data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). This number represents about 0.3% of the total population.
- Nearly 75% of adult illicit drug users are employed, which causes American businesses to lose about $81 billion a year, according to a survey on urine drug testing.
- Unfortunately, more than 9.5 million urine drug tests were positive in the U.S. workforce in the year 2015 alone.
- Approximately 62% of employers in the U.S. implemented a drug testing program with the goal of guaranteeing employee safety, complying with state regulations, protecting the reputation of their organization, and developing a drug-free environment, according to the American Management Association.
The Christmas holidays are a time of joy for many families, but not all. If you have someone in your family who is an alcoholic or drug addict then you likely know the routine of hair follicle drug tests and the other screening processes that are used for job interviews and parole office visits. Finding a way through the dangerous world of addiction is a problem that many Americans deal with on a regular basis. Unfortunately, there are many who are in such a difficult situation that they cannot even bear to share their news with friends and family. And while Christmas can be an especially difficult time, the families who deal with addiction often struggle every day, but tests and screens can provide some comfort.
