More City Job Seekers to Face Drug Screening

In an expansion of San Diego’s drug-testing program, applicants for more than half of the 9,000-plus city government jobs--particularly those involving operating hazardous equipment or driving city vehicles--will be screened for illegal drug use.

Under action taken Thursday by the city’s Civil Service Commission, the city’s drug-screening program, which now covers about 3,000 employees in 30 job classifications, will be expanded to 165 job categories occupied by more than 4,500 workers, according to Assistant City Manager Jack McGrory.

The program, which already applies to employees such as police officers, firefighters, trash collectors and lifeguards, will be expanded to cover dozens of other jobs ranging from groundskeepers, roofers and divers to airport workers, building inspectors and parking enforcement officers.

Employees affected by the change are those who work in jobs that require them to drive while on city business, operate hazardous equipment, provide support work for public safety activities, handle controlled substances or work near traffic.

The expanded drug-screening is designed to minimize dangers to the public and other city workers posed by employees performing hazardous jobs while under the influence of illegal drugs, city administrators said.

“Our principal objective is to get a drug-free workplace,” McGrory said. “One of the best ways to accomplish that is to screen out anyone with a drug problem before he becomes part of the work force.”

Applicants whose tests reveal any illegal drugs in their blood or urine will be automatically rejected, McGrory explained.

Although the Civil Service Commission has considered also applying the new rules to current city workers, existing employees will not be subject to the widened testing program pending negotiations between city administrators and labor unions over the next month.