Pubdate: Wed, 12 Apr 2006
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2006 Calgary Herald
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Don Harrison, CanWest News Service
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)

U.S. FIRMS TEST MORE FOR DRUGS IN CANADA

A University of Victoria survey showed the controversial practice of 
workplace drug testing was most frequent in Canadian companies that 
had their head office in the United States.

While Canada debates decriminalization of marijuana in contrast to 
the American War on Drugs, the survey found provinces with the 
highest percentage of firms with a U.S. head office -- B.C. and 
Alberta -- also had the top levels of drug testing of employees. This 
despite what the report's author said is a lack of evidence of 
testing necessity or efficacy.

"A lot of U.S conglomerates coming up to Canada . . . are trying to 
adopt the same policies, but the laws are different here," said Dr. 
Scott Macdonald, assistant director of research at the university's 
Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. "In order to have drug testing 
(in Canada), it has to be reasonably related to the requirements of the work."

Conducted in 2003, the first national survey discovered 10 per cent 
of the firms overall had drug testing, with the highest provincial 
rate in Alberta at 25 per cent. B.C. was second at 17.9 per cent. 
Macdonald found U.S.-run firms were twice as likely -- 18.2 per cent 
to 9.2 per cent -- to impose testing as those headquartered elsewhere.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman