Drugs Test at Work
A few years ago, they found Rio Ferdinand guilty of avoiding a random drugs test. They gave him an 8-month ban from football.
Some people said that they treated him harshly. Some said that he got off lightly as athletes in other sports get a minimum ban of 2 years either if they find with drugs in their system or if they avoid the test. This, understandably, carries the same sentence.
If athletes were to get a lesser sentence for avoiding the test then they could simply sprint past the random drugs testers when they arrived at the door. They would simply say later that they were late for an appointment.
Then they found banned substances in the system of Mark Bosnich, the goalkeeper. They banned him for 9 months. So at least you could say that the FA are fair.
Drugs Test – Ethical Matter
However, there is another matter here that no one mentions much so far. It is that the substance that the FA actually found in Mark Bosnich‘s system was Cocaine.
The reasons why football, and other sports, test for drugs is to stop the cheats who want to enhance their performance by taking performance enhancing drugs.
However, when the FA found a social drug, i.e. Cocaine in the bloodstream of Mark Bosnich they banned him for 9 months. I‘m sure that they would do the same for Cannabis or any other drug that they found there.
It could be that Rio Ferdinand had had a bit of Cannabis at a party recently. Maybe he had a worry that they would find that in his system.
So why are the FA testing for social drugs at the same time that they are testing for performance enhancing drugs? I don’t know of an athlete or swimmer getting a ban for taking Cannabis or Cocaine. That’s even though I‘m sure that some must take those drugs socially.
Creeping Drug Testing
Could this sort of thing catch on in other professions? Perhaps, could it catch on in our profession?
Could it be a standard part of any medical that candidates are also tested for drugs?
Already some employers test for drugs, in professions where taking drugs and alcohol would be dangerous for customers.
However, this sort of thing could creep up, where more and more employers were able to make some kind of case why their employees need to be tested for drugs.
With medical advances in may not need a visit to a doctor to take the test. A simple swab of the skin of candidate employees or contractors at interviews could be sent off for analysis.
Standard Interview Practice
Could you imagine being at an interview, where at the interview a potential client or employer stands up with a swab in his hand and says ‘And lastly, it is standard practice at our company that we take a swab test at interviews for analysis for drug-taking. If you could just roll up your sleeve please’.
What would you do when asked to take a drugs test? Roll up your sleeve meekly or decline? You know that refusal to take the test would be considered to be tantamount to being found to have drugs in your system. You know you wouldn‘t get a job or contract offer?
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