Safety, along with optimal production, are the most common priorities for Industries such as Chemical & Plastics Plants, and Manufacturing & Distribution facilities. Neither safety, nor optimal production can be fully achieved without an effective and consistent employee Drug Testing Program in place. (Alcohol and drug abuse has been estimated to cost American businesses roughly 81 billion dollars in lost productivity in just one year!)

This segment of industry draws its main workforce from one of the fastest-growing sectors of the population, the pool of 18-30 year olds. This group also exhibits the heaviest use of alcohol, cocaine, marijuana and heroin. Alarmingly, a recent study also showed that more than one-half of admitted users bought their marijuana and cocaine in the workplace.

Joseph Patrick, owner of a manufacturing company, never dreamed that his company had a drug problem. Then one day his plant manager informed him that as many as 10% of his employees were drug users. Today, he has a substance abuse policy in place that includes screening prospective employees, a random program, and training for his supervisors so that they recognize the signs of abuse. The result of his effort is "a better, safer, more enjoyable workplace," according to Patrick, who also noted that "efficiency and productivity are way up."