Many different scenarios require drug testing. From newly hired employees to parental custody cases, there is a broad range of situations where drug testing may be needed for a variety of reasons. It may not even have anything to do with suspicion of drug use, but it may be standard practice by a company or organization for protection against liability.

First of all, drug testing is typically administered to new employees during the hiring process. This is a good idea to establish a baseline reference point. The drug tests can look back for weeks into the employee’s history to show if they are a drug user. Often, companies will continue drug testing employees randomly throughout the duration of their employment. This is particularly important in professions that involve caring for children, the elderly or the disabled, or if the job requires a lot of driving or operating of heavy machinery. Employee drug testing can help discourage drug use at work and lessen the chance of accidents occurring.

Drug testing may also be given to employees after an on-the-job incident. If it is found that the employee was under the influence of drugs, then this test can provide a defense for the company against lawsuits if the employee or someone else is injured. The company’s case will be further strengthened if it had established a history of conducting random employee drug testing as a preventative measure. Post-incident drug testing can also establish whether an injured employee is eligible for workman’s compensation. Such might not be the case if they were under the influence of drugs at the time of the on-the-job accident. Drug testing is an important tool in protecting companies from liability by association and preventing drug-affected people from injuring innocent members of society.

Drug testing is also typically administered following vehicle accidents or traffic stops by law enforcement. Officers are skilled at picking up on small cues that indicate drug use, and drug paraphernalia is typically present in the vehicle as well. When a vehicular accident is involved, nurses will often draw blood from the vehicle drivers if they happen to visit the emergency room following the accident. These blood samples can be analyzed in a drug lab and may be presented later as part of a private lawsuit or perhaps even a criminal case. If a person is found to be under the influence of drugs when they caused injury or death to another, it can open them up to grave criminal charges and legal liability.

Patients in a drug rehab facility will often undergo drug testing as well. This is critical to identifying whether the program is working for each individual and whether a patient is ready to be released. Additionally, drug testing may be required of a person convicted on drug charges who is released on probation. This is simply to ensure compliance with the law and the conditions of probation. Drug use while on probation would be a violation that can land a person in jail for a long time. Sometimes random drug testing is required of a parent in a custody case as well, to ensure the safety and well-being of children.