Abstract
Workplace drug testing programs are often met with intense criticism. Despite resistance among labor and consumer groups and a lack of rigorous empirical evidence regarding effectiveness, drug testing programs have remained popular with employers throughout the 1990s and into the current century. The present study analyzed nationally representative data on over 15,000 US households to determine whether various types of workplace drug testing programs influenced the probability of drug use by workers. The study estimated several empirical specifications using both univariate and bivariate probit techniques. The specification tests favored the bivariate probit model over the univariate probit model. Estimated marginal effects of drug testing on any drug use were negative, significant, and relatively large, indicating that drug testing programs are achieving one of the desired effects. The results were similar when any drug use was replaced with chronic drug use in the models. These results have important policy implications regarding the effectiveness and economic viability of workplace anti-drug programs.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 45-63 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Social Science Research |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Drug testing
- Employee drug use
- Workplace programs
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
- Sociology and Political Science
Cite this
To test or not to test : Do workplace drug testing programs discourage employee drug use? / French, Michael; Roebuck, Christopher; Alexandre, Pierre Kébreau.
In: Social Science Research, Vol. 33, No. 1, 03.2004, p. 45-63.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - To test or not to test
T2 - Do workplace drug testing programs discourage employee drug use?
AU - French, Michael
AU - Roebuck, Christopher
AU - Alexandre, Pierre Kébreau
PY - 2004/3
Y1 - 2004/3
N2 - Workplace drug testing programs are often met with intense criticism. Despite resistance among labor and consumer groups and a lack of rigorous empirical evidence regarding effectiveness, drug testing programs have remained popular with employers throughout the 1990s and into the current century. The present study analyzed nationally representative data on over 15,000 US households to determine whether various types of workplace drug testing programs influenced the probability of drug use by workers. The study estimated several empirical specifications using both univariate and bivariate probit techniques. The specification tests favored the bivariate probit model over the univariate probit model. Estimated marginal effects of drug testing on any drug use were negative, significant, and relatively large, indicating that drug testing programs are achieving one of the desired effects. The results were similar when any drug use was replaced with chronic drug use in the models. These results have important policy implications regarding the effectiveness and economic viability of workplace anti-drug programs.
AB - Workplace drug testing programs are often met with intense criticism. Despite resistance among labor and consumer groups and a lack of rigorous empirical evidence regarding effectiveness, drug testing programs have remained popular with employers throughout the 1990s and into the current century. The present study analyzed nationally representative data on over 15,000 US households to determine whether various types of workplace drug testing programs influenced the probability of drug use by workers. The study estimated several empirical specifications using both univariate and bivariate probit techniques. The specification tests favored the bivariate probit model over the univariate probit model. Estimated marginal effects of drug testing on any drug use were negative, significant, and relatively large, indicating that drug testing programs are achieving one of the desired effects. The results were similar when any drug use was replaced with chronic drug use in the models. These results have important policy implications regarding the effectiveness and economic viability of workplace anti-drug programs.
KW - Drug testing
KW - Employee drug use
KW - Workplace programs
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=1342306397&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0049-089X(03)00038-3
DO - 10.1016/S0049-089X(03)00038-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 15025064
AN - SCOPUS:1342306397
VL - 33
SP - 45
EP - 63
JO - Social Science Research
JF - Social Science Research
SN - 0049-089X
IS - 1
ER -