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Why We Should Stop Random Drug Testing | The Doctor Weighs In
Random drug testing inflicts psychological harm on people with addiction and impedes their recovery. Here are three steps we can take to stop this practice.
There are many problems with how we approach the disease of addiction. A particularly troubling one from a medical perspective is the practice of random drug testing. This method of monitoring tends to treat many addiction sufferers punitively, instead of effectively addressing the underlying disease of addiction.
If we want to change the course of the addiction crisis in America changing the way we conduct drug testing should be an aspect we carefully consider. There are methods we can apply to substance use disorder (SUD) recovery, whether it coincides with an actual criminal offense or not, that would do away with the punitive approaches that are now ubiquitous in the treatment industry. Moreover, implementing more data-driven positive reinforcement methods would help reduce the stigma which is so damaging and hinders better treatment outcomes.
First step: Eliminate ‘Random’ Drug Testing
A healthy start to a transition away from punitive practices would be ending “random” drug testing and replacing it with planned and regular…
