About all this drug testing BS (I have a BS degree, BTW, so I'm qualified
to add my own BS to this):
 
In the interest of public safety, and more importantly, to me anyway, the
safety of my oldest children, I allow my oldest kids -- 18 and 19 yrs --
to smoke pot at home.  However, I do NOT allow them to smoke pot, or be
high around the smaller children -- if they can't hold their drugs (or
alcohol, too), they go outside until they can contain themselves, or they
go to bed.  My house, my rules; that simple.  Now that everybody is so
shocked at me, I'll explain my reasoning:  The kids are 18 and 19 years old.
If they want to drink beer or smoke pot, they are going to do so with or
without my permission.  If I say they can't do either, they'll just go
to their friends' houses and do it.  By allowing them to do it at home,
1) I know they are not out driving, and 2) I can keep an eye on them, in
case something happens.  I used to be a druggie (I've been clean for 17-1/2
years now), preferring LSD and heroin.  I know first-hand that kids will
do as they please (concerning drug/alcohol use) whether or not their
parent's approve (mine didn't).  I wised up and quit before it killed me.
I tried to hide my drug use from my parents.  If my kids are going to try
the same stunts, as a parent, I want to be there to get them medical attention
or whatever, if they need it.  I know this is getting long winded, but I'm
leading up to my point here.  Currently, I do NOT take any non-prescription
drugs of any kind.  My wife and I buy a six-pack of beer for New Year's Eve
celebrations, and by the following summer, we're down to our last two cans.
I consider myself to be a non-drinker.  Here it is, the point to all this:
If my two oldest kids are smoking pot, and I breathe the second-hand smoke
in the air, I assume that I will have pot in my system.  Everyone says
second-hand cigarette (tobacco) smoke works this way, so I suspect pot
does too.  Now, if I go to work, and have to take a urine test, or however
they do those things, I should have 1) prescription drugs in my system, and
2) THC (pot) in my system.  Should I be fired?  I have done nothing illegal.
My kids are both over 18, so I have no legal authority over them.  Pot is
a misdemeanor in California -- a $100 fine, if I remember correctly.  Even
if it was MY pot, should I be fired because of a misdemeanor?  If so, does
that include traffic tickets, or do we get fired for just some misdemeanors
that somebody arbitrarily decides on, and not all misdemeanors?  The
prescription drugs I take sell for $3.00 each on the street, I've heard,
although I don't know why anyone would take them if they don't need to,
I don't have any fun with them.  Since my drugs, which are also street
drugs, were prescribed by a doctor, is it okay for me to have them in my
system, but not for you, my co-worker, to have them in your system?  Two
beers will get me drunk, yet I know others who can drink a twelve-pack
and not show signs of impairment.  So that means I can drink my two beers,
and go out driving around while I'm drunk, but I can't get in trouble for
drunk driving because my alcohol level in my blood is too low.  My buddy,
however, who can easily hold four beers, can drive okay, but be hauled in
for drunk driving because of the alcohol level in his blood.  What about
over-the-counter medications?  Cough sysup had alcohol in it.  Do we get
fired for taking Formula 44, or Vicks, or whatever?
 
I think drug tests should be abolished.  I lost my class A driver's license
because of my prescription medication.  Fortunately, in my case, I'm
lucky because I prefer what I'm doing for a living now, more than I
enjoyed driving a truck, or later on, owning a truck repair facility.  (I do
computer consulting for a living, and museum work, linguistics and
anthropology as volunteer/hobby work.)  If I wasn't adaptable enough to switch
careers quickly, my family would be/have been up a proverbial creek.
 
If somebody wants a sample of my urine, I'll be more than happy to piss on
'em.  (Being the owner of the company, I can have that attitude -- I haven't
had any employees complain about NOT being tested so far.)
 
Chuck Coker
Work:    (909) 882-2099   (United States)
Home:    (909) 886-5035   (United States)
e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
 
 =========================================================================
There have been no dragons in my life, only small spiders and stepping in
gum.  I could have coped with the dragons.
                                                   -- Anonymous (but wise)
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