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EMPLOYEE HEALTH SCREENING
Should Employers Consider Oral Fluid Drug Testing?
There are several advantages to oral fluid drug testing.
BY JOHN MALLIOS
Substance abuse in the United States isn’t a new phenomenon and, in fact, drugs being abused today were once regarded as medicine. In the 19th century, for example, heroin and cocaine were approved for use as medicinally therapeutic substances before their addictive properties became fully known. In the 1890s, the Bayer pharmaceutical company even promoted heroin as a cough suppressant and for treating the common cold.
During World War I, soldiers were given stimulants such
as cocaine and amphetamine to increase their alertness, their physical performance and to suppress appetite. Additionally, by the mid-20th century, use of hallucinogens (LSD, PCP, mescaline, etc.), stimulants (cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines, etc.) and marijuana became very popular recreationally, and were more readily available.
However, by the 1980s, U.S. federal and state governments increased programs and funding to address widespread substance abuse in American society, which ultimately lead to
30 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2022
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