RESUME, INTERVIEW, DRUG TEST: STANDARD EMPLOYEE DRUG TESTING IS ON THE RISE ACROSS COUNTRY

More than a year ago a small manufacturing company became concerned about substance abuse among some workers in its facility. A number of what appeared to be minor but preventable accidents were recorded.

Company officials were concerned.

Instead of discussing disciplinary action as punishment, the company initiated a new drug policy -- one which included drug testing.

When the company initiated the policy, it closed for a day, with pay.

All 50 employees had to undergo a urine test at a nearby laboratory. Anyone who tested positive had to enroll in a company-approved rehabilitation program before returning to work.

Now, workers who check-out positive in "random" testing are suspended for three days and are required to go to a company-approved drug counselor, who determines treatment. Otherwise, they are terminated.

Hiring at the company is also tougher these days. Testing positive in a pre-employment screening means a rejection letter. A year later, the number of work-site accidents at the company is down.

Drug testing is on the rise among small companies and parallels large corporations.

"We're finding that more and more companies are requiring drug testing," said Jackie Cecil, director of the Missouri Job Service office at Cape Girardeau, which serves three Southeast Missouri counties -- Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger.

Other job service offices in the Bootheel are also being reminded of "drug testing" this week as Aztar Corp., the gambling casino operation that will open at Caruthersville in May, started its hiring process.

Aztar will require pre-employment drug testing. People may apply for Aztar jobs at job services offices in Caruthersville, Kennett, Sikeston and Poplar Bluff.

Boyd Corp., headquartered in Las Vegas, will also require pre-employment drug testing for employment at its Kansas City and Cape Girardeau gambling casino operations. Boyd's Cape Girardeau operation is expected to open in early 1996.

During the past four years the number of companies establishing drug testing has more than doubled. In 1990 only 32.6 percent of employees in companies with sales of less than $50 million required drug testing. The 1994 survey shows 78.9 percent of employees must undergo regular and random testing.

Four years ago, only 32.5 percent of companies required drug testing for job applicants. The 1994 totals show 54.7 percent of job applicants undergo testing.

As many as 30 companies in the Cape Girardeau area require drug testing.

Pre-employment and random drug testing is a requirement for many transportation workers.

"This is a requirement of the Department of Transportation," said Dan Fieser, support services supervisor at the St. Francis Medical Center laboratory.

Urine tests are used in 82 percent of the drug testing.

"We use the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration urine testing methods," Fieser said. "There are about 100 labs in the nation that are SAMSHA approved."

Southeast Missouri Hospital and a number of doctors offer drug testing.

The second-most-common method of drug testing is blood sampling, which is used by 12.9 percent of companies. Two other methods, hair sampling and performance testing, have received some attention.

Testing experts consider hair analysis less invasive than urine testing, and in that way, preferable. It also provides a much longer record of drug uses -- as far back as three months. Hair testing, however, will not turn up very recent drug use. And, the Federal Drug Administration has questioned the accuracy of hair analysis.

Companies that establish drug-testing policies usually include four of five instances for testing -- pre-employment; random; reasonable cause; and periodically.

"The urine tests will show use of marijuana, cocaine, PCP, amphetamine and opiates.

Drug-testing results can show use of certain drugs three months after use if a person is a chronic user, Fieser said. If a person only occasional uses drugs, the test may show negative within three or four days of use.

Included in the groups which fall under Department of Transportation requirements are all drivers with Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDL); Airlines pilots and others involved in flying; Federal Railroad Administration; merchant workers on barge lines and other river transportation; and mass transit workers.

These occupations require not only drug testing, but also "breath-alcohol testing," Fieser said.

The alcohol tests are stringent ones.

"Any CDL driver checking out at .02 to .039 can't drive for 24 hours," Fieser said. "If they check out .04 or higher, they can't drive until they see a substance professional."

The tests are exact, Fieser emphasized. In some cases, a person who has used a mouthwash before taking the test may check out near the .02 mark.

During the screening test, a person who checks positive (over the .02 mark) is required to wait 15 minutes for re-testing.

"This 15-minute period eliminates the possibility of that a strong mouthwash was responsible for the reading," Fieser said. "If, after 15 minutes, the person checks under .02, the reading goes on the record as negative."