Understanding Drug Testing: A Tool for Informed Decisions

Drug testing has gotten a bad rap, but it’s not the TESTS that are bad. It’s how the results are being used. And we – the people who work in the field of substance use disorders – are the reason they are used inappropriately and why the message isn’t getting out.

A Google search explains the following reasons we test, per Artificial Intelligence (AI):

“Generally, it’s done to assess quality, identify issues, and gather information to make informed decisions.” It then describes the various arenas in which testing is done and why:

“Education:

• Tests help students understand what they have learned and what areas need more focus. 
• Teachers can use test results to gauge the effectiveness of their teaching methods and adjust their approach.
• Testing can pinpoint areas where students are struggling, allowing for targeted support and improvement. 
• Studies show that testing, even without immediate feedback, can improve long-term retention of information and enhance future learning.

“Software Development:

• Testing verifies that software performs as intended and meets requirements. 
• Testing helps find errors and defects in the code before users encounter them. 
• Testing can reveal usability issues that can be addressed to create a better user experience. 
• By identifying potential problems early, testing helps prevent costly and potentially harmful software failures. 

“Medical Testing

• Ensures proper bodily functions, like blood sugar levels, and identifies potential health issues. 

“Product Testing

• Verifies the safety, functionality, and quality of products before they are released. 

“Driving: 

• Assesses a person’s ability to safely operate a vehicle. 

“Usability: 

• Determines how easy and enjoyable a product is to use. 

“General Benefits of Testing:

• Accountability:

Testing can hold individuals, systems, or products accountable for meeting certain standards or requirements according to a YouTube video. 

• Informed Decision Making:

Testing provides valuable data that can be used to make better decisions about a product, process, or system. 

• Continuous Improvement:

Testing helps identify areas for improvement, allowing for ongoing optimization and refinement.”

There are tests in medicine, tests in schools, tests in software, tests in accounting, and even drivers’ tests. I don’t hear the kerfuffle in those fields about tests that have negative outcomes. Sure, we know that tests have been and continue to be used inappropriately. Once all people were granted the right to vote, testing kept Blacks from voting because they couldn’t pass tests like this one in Louisiana.

And those inappropriate outcomes continue today for drug testing. Today, rather than helping mothers who have used drugs while they were pregnant, they are far too often penalized or worse. Worse is that they are ignored, which means that so are their babies. Rather than helping those with substance use disorders recognize the depth of their disease, they, too, are ignored. The rationale is ignoring the problem is easier.

But easier for whom? Certainly not for the babies, and not for those who are dying from their chronic, persistent, lethal disease.

Reference

https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/06/voting-rights-and-the-supreme-court-the-impossible-literacy-test-louisiana-used-to-give-black-voters.html