Pg. 346 Text Response

The article on page 346 in our text book, titled “Drug testing needs improvement, not clearinghouse”, addresses problems associated with the establishment of a national database to track truckers who have failed drug and alcohol tests. Jami Jones reports the reaction of the association’s director of regulatory affairs, Rick Craig, who points out that although the problem being addressed is a serious one, industry concerns in the areas of privacy, security, and oversight indicate that the proposed solution is not yet ready to be put into practice. The core of the problem with the drug testing program is that there isn’t a real incentive for drug-free truckers. The tests are expensive and truckers that are drug-free are not given incentives to participate. Craig proposes solution that focuses more directly on detecting the small group of drug users while at the same time rewarding drug-free drivers and their employers. I’m sure the new solution will work because rewards motivate people to try harder.