The Success of Zero-Tolerance Drug Testing: City of Houston/Department of Public Works and Engineering

Abstract

The war on drugs has been an uphill battle in America for a number of years. Despite all the effort, drug use continues. Organizations, both public and private, have developed a variety of approaches to address this continued pattern of drug use and its impact in the workplace. The city of Houston has taken what some consider to be a hard-line approach to this issue—especially for a public entity. In October of 1993, the city of Houston adopted the zero-tolerance approach to drug use in the workplace. For employees, this means automatic termination when evidence of drug use is discovered. From the inception of the zero-tolerance drug policy, the percentage of employees testing positive has steadily decreased. Establishing a zero-tolerance approach to drug testing allows Houston to maintain a safe and productive work environment by identifying and removing drug users from the workplace.