The Nation - News from March 9, 1986

A federal government task force said that urine tests to expose drug use “can be and effective tool” for employers, but indiscriminate testing of the work force was not recommended. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, reporting after a two-day conference called in Washington to develop advice for businesses, said that urinalysis “should be considered a useful technique” in the early identification of employees with drug problems. But J. Michael Walsh, co-chairman of the conference, cautioned that random screenings would not be justified except in jobs that could involve “significant risk to other employees and the public.