The new policy was brought about by threat of legislation from Congress. Under the policy tougher penalties for steroid use are implemented. Under the new policy the players are to be tested during their spring training along with at least one additional test during the regular season as well as being subject to random testing throughout the regular season.
Under the previous policy, penalties were much less severe. For example, for a first offense a player would be subject to a 10-day suspension and then 30 days for a second offense. A third offense would rate a 60 day suspension. The new policy calls for a 50 game suspension for the first offense and a 100 game offense for the second offense. For a third offense the player will receive a lifetime ban. Additionally, after the first offense the player will be subjected to amphetamines testing as well as steroid testing. This is the first time the problem of amphetamine use will have been addressed by a policy with MLB. Under the old policy a player could not receive a lifetime ban until he had been hit with at least a fifth offense.
Under the previous policy testing was also conducted on a much less frequent basis. Testing was conducted at the beginning of spring training with no additional testing through the regular season other than random testing. Under this policy, it was quite possible for a player to only be tested once from the beginning of spring training throughout the regular season.
The policy stipulated that players who tested positive for steroid the year prior to the new policy taking affect would be treated as first time offenders under the new policy if they should test positive again.
It should be noted that in the event a player is banned for life after a third offense under the new policy, a player can apply for permission to return to the game two years after receiving the ban. An independent arbitrator can be assigned for the purpose of reviewing the Commissioner's decision in this instance.
The policy also takes a stab at possession of illegal steroid use in addition to use of illegal steroids. Players convicted for the possession of illegal steroids are subject to a 60-80 game suspension for the first offense and 120 games to one year for a second offense. A lifetime ban is on the table for a third offense. Players who are convicted of steroid distribution face tougher suspensions for the first offense and are subject to a lifetime ban after the first offense.
Penalties for amphetamine use are slightly less severe than for steroid use. Mandatory follow-up testing is dictated for the first offense with a 25 game suspension for the second offense. An 80 game suspension will be given for the third positive test and at the fourth offense the penalty is left up to the Commissioner, which could include a lifetime ban.
It is your business what you put in your body, from your food, drink and even the medicines you take. It is everyone's right or business to insure that what we put in our body is the best for us. Whether we are an employee or a student, we should be able to put whatever we want in our bodies, right?
Well, some of us may want to rethink that idea. Would you want an airline pilot sitting at the bar drinking alcohol one hour before take off? How about an air-traffic controller doing cocaine in the bathroom just before he begins his shift? Would you want the school bus driver using drugs while transporting student? Wouldn't you want to know that they are undergoing regular?
What about the truck driver carrying 80,000 pounds fully loaded that hasn't slept for days because he has been doing methamphetamines? Or the forklift operator that drank too much the night before and now has a long shift in the warehouse with a hangover? What about the accountant who smokes marijuana one hour before he is going to do your taxes? Do you think he might miss a deduction or two?
Are these people undergoing Drug Testing? Don't you believe they should? Employees who are using illegal drugs or alcohol tend to file more worker's compensation claims. They tend to report late, or not at all, to their job sites, are generally less productive than the non-drug-using employee and will frequently change jobs. Wouldn't it be far simpler to implement an Employee Drug Testing policy for everyone you employ?
Requiring a drug-free environment in your workplace by implementing an Employee Drug Testing Program can gain many benefits. You would have less absenteeism, better morale, decreased use of medical insurance benefits and more productive employees.
Families, too, are being affected by drug abuse, but in a different way. A husband that abuses drugs or a wife who drinks too much alcohol often cannot hold down a job, much less keep one. This affects the entire family. What if the parent operates equipment that could endanger himself or herself or another employee; wouldn't you want to see your employer Drug Testing at your job?
A teenager that drinks or uses drugs because of the pressures of school and home life are too much for him to handle may one day he get in his car, under the influence, and lose his life or take the lives of other innocent people. Perhaps you should consider supporting your local High School's program.
Schools regularly have their athletes tested for steroids as well as testing other students who may be using marijuana or heroin or other substances for recreational purposes. These Student Drug Testing Programs keep your children safe and you, as a parent, out of court.
Consider the potential costs of other problems relating to illegal drugs and alcohol. We are taxed so that the government can pay millions of dollars on incarceration, health care and so on for crimes and heath problems that are directly related to substance abuse. Did you realize that these substances could cause heart problems? A person using methamphetamines for any length of time can run up a myriad of different health care costs in the long run including dental costs and mental health care costs. Of course, injected substances can cause other problems, such as HIV when needles are shared.
Wouldn't you want your loved ones Drug Tested in a Student program at school and an Employee Drug Testing program at work in order to save their lives? It might give them an opportunity to see that they have a problem and allow them to 'kick' their bad habits and move on to a more productive way of life. And also, it would put your liability, provided that person is a minor, on a lower scale. If your minor child, who is using drugs and happens to work or drive a car, gets into a wreck or hurts someone on the job, you may be liable for that person's actions. Court costs these days are tremendous, not counting the settlement money you'd have to pay to the injured party. No more college for junior and you can probably forget about that new house you were planning to buy.
Everybody loses when a drug abuser doesn't respect what he or she put in his or her body. Whether your reasons are - a lost relationship, lost income from your business or the loss of the business itself or even the loss of a loved one - accountability has to begin somewhere. Shouldn't it begin with you?
Employee Drug Testing and Student Drug Testing programs are reasonable courses of action for both businesses and schools to ensure that their employees and students are not abusing illegal substances thereby keeping health care costs, incarceration costs, court costs and accidents at a minimum.
Drug Testing saves time and money and just plain makes sense!
Both Joseph Kenny & Larry Borsheim are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.