As more Americans fail drug tests, employers turn to refugees

jthomas666 · Mar 27, 2017

He is Talib Alzamel, a 45-year-old Syrian refugee who arrived [in Pennsylvania] last summer with his wife and five children. He can't speak much English, but neither can most of the 40 refugees who work at Sterling Technologies, a plastic molding company based near the shores of Lake Erie. They earn $8-14 an hour.

The refugees at Sterling come from all over the world, from Syria to Sudan, Chad to Bhutan. And they've all passed the company's standard drug test.

"In our lives, we don't have drugs," said Alzamel, who was hired within three months after arriving in Pennsylvania. "We don't even know what they look like or how to use them."

But for an increasing number of American-born workers, passing drug tests is a big problem.

The percentage of American workers testing positive for illegal drugs has climbed steadily over the last three years to its highest level in a decade, according to Quest Diagnostics, which performed more than 10 million employment drug screenings last year. The increase has been fueled in part by rural America's heroin epidemic and the legalization of recreational marijuana in states like Colorado.

Tide1986 · Mar 27, 2017

Very small population and doubtful that it'll get significantly larger in coming years...refugees that is.

Jon · Mar 27, 2017

meanwhile our polite neighbors to the North have stated that they will fully legalize recreation marijuana in July of 2018, while we still send billions to very profitable private companies to test and ultimately lock our people up for crimes that a majority of Americans want to see changed. Ain't freedom great?

Tide1986 · Mar 27, 2017

Jon said:
meanwhile our polite neighbors to the North have stated that they will fully legalize recreation marijuana in July of 2018, while we still send billions to very profitable private companies to test and ultimately lock our people up for crimes that a majority of Americans want to see changed. Ain't freedom great?

I guess you would like government to prohibit the denial of a job based on a drug test.

Jon · Mar 27, 2017

Tide1986 said:
I guess you would like government to prohibit the denial of a job based on a drug test.

depends on the job and the drug

LA4Bama · Mar 28, 2017

The people at CNN should be fired for writing that cracked out article.

Bamaro · Mar 28, 2017

Its also a convenient excuse to save a few bucks on salary.

tattooguy21 · Mar 28, 2017

I've never touched a drug in my life, but fully believe that weed needs to be legalized and laws created to control it, such as driving under the influence. Colorado and Washington did a crap job at implementation. States like Massachusetts passed legislation to legalize but very smartly have themselves a year to implement, so they could address problems with banking, under the influence laws, etc.

Federal govt needs to do it's part as well.....federally backed banks still can't hold money from the sale of drugs that are not considered legal under federal law.

I don't know, maybe I'm crazy. But I also agree that certain jobs/professions should require drug test. I don't want my airlines getting stoned (pilots or mechanics or atc, etc). No drug use for soldiers. Sorry, that's just life in the service. Same for cops and firefighters. Too much chance that you have to perform at a moment's notice.

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Bamabuzzard · Mar 28, 2017

An employer should have the right to hire, not hire or fire someone based on a drug test. It's their business, their money and ultimately their liability.

dvldog · Mar 28, 2017

Bamabuzzard said:
An employer should have the right to hire, not hire or fire someone based on a drug test. It's their business, their money and ultimately their liability.

I'll drink to that. Smoke'um if you got'em.

Wilson Monroe · Mar 28, 2017

I ran a pre-employment screening department for a while. Mostly construction jobs, but some were pretty high tech. The folks that took drugs had a good number of options for beating the test. One employer actually told me that if they were smart enough to beat the test then they were smart enough to work for him. I kid you not.

cbi1972 · Mar 28, 2017

tattooguy21 said:
No drug use for soldiers. Sorry, that's just life in the service.

Unless they're performance enhancing

cbi1972 · Mar 28, 2017

Wilson Monroe said:
I ran a pre-employment screening department for a while. Mostly construction jobs, but some were pretty high tech. The folks that took drugs had a good number of options for beating the test. One employer actually told me that if they were smart enough to beat the test then they were smart enough to work for him. I kid you not.

Mel: You mean to tell me that you argued your way from a C+ to an A-?
Cher: Totally based on my powers of persuasion. You proud?
Mel: Honey, I couldn’t be happier than if they were based on real grades.

tattooguy21 · Mar 28, 2017

cbi1972 said:
Unless they're performance enhancing

It's funny, the difference between the branches. In the army aviation world, you'd be crucified for taking these. On the other hand, they were handing out ambien for the past 15 years like candy so that aviators could pull HUGE 12-16 hour swings in their shift/work schedule.

The idea was, come off mission, need to go back out shorter than the normal rest time. You're still pumped from mission, so dope up, rack out, we'll wake you up in a bit. Seriously.

JBama_in_PCOLA · Mar 28, 2017

Hmm... saw this coming.

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Crimson1967 · Mar 29, 2017

How can this be? Didn't Trump say the refugees were bringing in drugs?

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bama_wayne1 · Mar 29, 2017

Jon said:
meanwhile our polite neighbors to the North have stated that they will fully legalize recreation marijuana in July of 2018, while we still send billions to very profitable private companies to test and ultimately lock our people up for crimes that a majority of Americans want to see changed. Ain't freedom great?

So if there truly is a majority feeling that way they should convince congress to change the law. Until then...

bama_wayne1 · Mar 29, 2017

Crimson1967 said:
How can this be? Didn't Trump say the refugees were bringing in drugs?

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Did he say "they" were using?

TIDE-HSV · Mar 29, 2017

bama_wayne1 said:
So if there truly is a majority feeling that way they should convince congress to change the law. Until then...

Neither house represents a majority of the American voting public. I thought that was a given...

Displaced Bama Fan · Mar 29, 2017

TIDE-HSV said:
Neither house represents a majority of the American voting public. I thought that was a given...

Nope. They represent the majority of the special interest.

As more Americans fail drug tests, employers turn to refugees

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