drug/alcohol testing policy: effective?

"Happy Dog" wrote in message
...

[snipped]


The type of exchange usually happens when you mix a government-as-nanny
liberal with a right (correct) thinking libertarian. The former uses some
personal experience and some shoddy reasoning to conclude that any
recreational drug use "is bad for you" and "more-than-occaisional drug use
is a sever character flaw". The proposed solution is to invade the
privacy
of everyone.

The proposition is to ensure that persons engaged in professional aviation
are not using illegal drugs. This does not involves "invading the privacy
of everyone." It involves drug testing persons who occupy certain regulated
occupations like Part 135 or Part 121 flying or related fields like ATC, A&P
maintenance, air line dispatch etc. All of these persons retain the right
to privacy, but not the right to use illegal drugs...

However, as the other poster correctly implies, the evidence
that recreational drug use away from the job is related to accidents is
lacking. If and when there is hard data on this, meaning lives are being
endangered (on the job), then most people would agree that government
intervention is necessary.

There *is* hard data to support the contention that recreational drug use
away from the job is related to accidents and life endangerment, and *most*
people DO believe that government intervention is necessary. Here are some
sources about drugs, drug testing, drug policy and aviation safety as
related to recreational drug use. Maybe you can chew on some of this "hard
data" next time you get the munchies:

http://www.leftseat.com/AME/health4pilots/default.htm

http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/research/cannabis.pdf

http://www.snj.com/ala-call/mari.htm

http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/aod/Effectstable2.htm

http://www.aamro.com/New%20Regulations.html

http://www.faa.gov/avr/aam/adap/index.cfm

http://www.casa.gov.au/hotopics/other/04-03-18and.htm

http://www.drugtestingnetwork.com/dot-compliance.htm

http://www.press.dtlr.gov.uk/pns/Dis...n_id=2001_0148

http://www.asma.org/Publication/abst...v72n2p120.html

http://www.ntsb.gov/O_n_O/docs/AVIATION/4972.PDF

Chip, ZTL