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Adam Montgomery
English Composition
Prof. C. Skutar
June 1, 2015
Drugs: What is Tolerated in the Workplace
In the year 2015 there are many drugs accessible to you. Some grow naturally in the
earth and others are chemical creations. What I'd like to explore is why some drugs are socially
acceptable and others can cause you to lose your job or to never even get the chance to start a
job do to pre-employment drug testing. If potential employee A has a better resume and
interviews better than potential employee B he/she still might not be employed if they do not
pass a drug screen. I think it is the right of the employer to choose to drug screen their
employees. What concerns me is what drugs they look for and why. Where do employers draw
the line? This figurative line may not be ethical.
If I'm an employer one thing that would certainly be important to me is the productivity
of my employees. One might argue that drug use in the workplace can limit the productivity of
employees. Therefore, of course drugs cannot be used during work or prior to working. What
about drugs that work as stimulants. If there are drugs that can increase productivity in the
workplace is that acceptable that an employee use drugs before coming to work or during their
shift?
This can be the case with the use of certain drugs. Drugs that are know as stimulants
have been know to increase productivity. "Stimulants are a class of psychoactive drug that
increase activity in the brain. These drugs can temporarily elevate alertness, mood, and
awareness. While some stimulant drugs are legal and widely used, all can be addicting."[]There
are many types of stimulants. Some you may not even realize are even a drug. "Caffeine is the
most widely used psychoactive drug in the world, found in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate candy,
and soft drinks. While caffeine has several positive effects such as increasing energy and mental
alertness, heavy use can cause symptoms such as anxiety and insomnia. Caffeine is physically
addictive, and withdrawal symptoms can include headaches, fatigue, and irritability."[] Lots of
Americans use stimulants as a way to start their day or as a boost to keep them going. However
these drugs can have long term side effects. Nicotine is another stimulant that we see used
every day. The general public is now under consensus that smoking cigarettes is bad for your
health. Even knowing this information a large portion of our nation continue to smoke
cigarettes. "Nicotine is considered one of the three most widely used psychoactive drugs in the
world, despite the fact that there are few (if any) medical uses for the drug." []This is because of
its highly addictive nature.
There are a few more common stimulants that have a much greater social stigma
surrounding them. One of these commonly used stimulants is cocaine. "Cocaine is a powerful
stimulant that causes euphoria, intense hikes in energy and heightened anxiety when it is
smoked, eaten, injected or snorted. Substantial cocaine use takes place throughout every
corner of the world, and despite the dangers and risks associated with regular cocaine abuse,
Medical University of South Carolina claims that cocaine use continues to range from
recreational or occasional use to patterns of compulsive involvement that present extremely
addictive behaviors in nature."[] The short term effects of these drugs seem fine. You are more
alert and attentive, you have a heightened sensation to sound and sight, you even feel euphoric
and energized. These things could certainly provide an edge in the workplace or in any
competition. The history of cocaine provides a peek into what is in store for some other
stimulants that have similar effects. Cocaine comes from coca plants. These plants grow
naturally in certain parts of the world. It is also assumed that even before literature was
brought to parts of South America where these plants grow, that the natives have used these
effects as well. Since ancient times native chewed on leaves and stems of coca plants to
experience these effects. Cocaine was initially accepted and was thought to be of no harm in
small doses. It was even found in products such as Coca Cola. "By the early 1900s, cocaine was
banned from regular use and was no longer found in Coca Cola products or in wine or similar
concoctions. Early in the 1960s the drug made a strong comeback in the party scene and was
used widely through the 70s, 80s and beyond. Today, Cocaine is considered a Schedule II
controlled substance with a moderately high potential for abuse and misuse. No medical uses
for the drug are acceptable in the United States and it continues to be one of many illicit
substances causing problems on the streets."[]
The most concerning of all stimulants to me, are actually prescribed by doctors. Drugs
like Adderall and Ritalin are typical prescribed to kids who have trouble focusing in school. They
can also be prescribe for narcolepsy or even occasionally for depression. The problem
introduced when you prescribe a drug is that in order to prescribe there must be a clear issue.
Well with things such as depression and Adhd is that diagnosis can be somewhat subjective. A
recent survey shows that these drugs are being misused. "Prescription stimulants such as
Adderall and Ritalin are two of the drugs most frequently abused by high school seniors, with
6.5 percent reporting nonmedical use of Adderall in the past year."[]. The generation that
started being prescribed these drugs are children have now entered the workforce as adults.
My generation in particular has figured out the benefits of using these drugs. Some may use
Adderall to stay up late and cram before a big test. I think that we have seen these prescription
drugs long enough to understand the benefits but that the long term side effects are only just
now becoming clear. These drugs are strikingly similar to drugs that have been outlawed
because we have simply seen them for longer and society has had the time to see how they can
change the lives of the user. "Prescription stimulants include medications such as
methylphenidate (Ritalin® and Concerta®) and amphetamines (Dexedrine® and Adderall®). These
medications, which are in the same class of drugs as cocaine and methamphetamine (“meth”),
increase alertness, energy, and attention. Like all stimulant drugs, prescription stimulants
increase levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with
pleasure, movement, and attention."[]
Although most research you can find online points to the abuse of these drugs among
teens, those teens abusing drugs that may or may not be prescribed by a doctor have already
entered our workplace. They can use these drugs for an edge in school as well as a boost to
productivity in a competitive work environment as well. The pressure that athletes feel to be
the best often push them to take extreme measure to be the best they can. This also translates
to a workplace we just haven't opened societies eye to this just yet. It’s the right of the
employer to fire someone that uses marijuana which has known medical uses and not many
longer term side effects, but yet drugs that provide a potential boost to productivity are okay at
the expensive of the users body. "Abusing prescription stimulants can also result in increased
blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature, as well as nausea, headaches, anxiety,
psychosis, seizures, stroke, and heart failure. Individuals who chronically abuse prescription
stimulants may experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop using them. These symptoms
can include fatigue, depression, and disturbed sleep patterns. Although not life threatening,
these symptoms often prompt a return to drug use."[] We are creating a template that
encourages addiction.
Cherry, Kendra. "What Are Stimulants and What Do They Do?" About Psychology. N.p., n.d.
Web. 06 June 2015.
"Cocaine." Stimulants. N.p., n.d. Web 06 June 2015.
"Prescription Stimulants." Heads up Scholastic. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 June 2015.