As Americans Fail Drug Tests, Employers Turn to Refugees

CNN, Mar. 27, 2017 - "[F]or an increasing number of American-born workers, passing drug tests is a big problem. The percentage of American workers testing positive for illegal drugs has climbed steadily over the last three years to its highest level in a decade, according to Quest Diagnostics, which performed more than 10 million employment drug screenings last year. The increase has been fueled in part by rural America's heroin epidemic and the legalization of recreational marijuana in states like Colorado. With roughly half of US employers screening for drugs, failed tests have real consequences for the economy. More than 9% of employees tested positive for one or more drugs in oral fluid screenings in 2015, the most recent year for which data was available. And the problem is even worse at places like Sterling Technologies. "Twenty percent of the people are failing," said Cary Quigley, the company's president. "We're seeing positive tests anywhere from marijuana through amphetamines, right all the way through crystal meth and heroin." Which is why refugees like Alzamel, despite some language barriers, are quickly snapping up jobs."