Recognizing that alcohol and drug use in the workplace is a significant
social and economic problem, various forms of drug testing have been
branded as the solutions to a safer and more productive work
environment. In this determined drive to find a userfriendly and
accurate substance use detection strategy, a variety of drug testing
procedures have been developed and used with varying consistently across
industry groups. One such method, trace detection technology, however,
has been employed in spite of the paucity of empirical evidence to
validate its use as a stand-alone screening system for drug detection.
Furthermore, research on the impact of false positive results of trace
detection technology is extremely limited amidst a climate in many
locales in which it is regularly used. With trace detection technology
being used extensively in both the private and public sectors for drug
screening purposes, the objectives of this research were twofold: To
examine the efficacy of trace detection technology as a stand alone
method of drug testing by exploring the lived experiences of commercial
truck drivers who have experienced false-positive drug test results
firsthand; and to explore the emotional and physical impact of
false-positive test results generated by this technology on the
individual commercial truck driver. The results from this research have
broad implications for general workforces subject to periodic or
scheduled drug screening, for law enforcement professionals who rely on
a detection strategy that can produce false positive outcomes, for the
legal community seeking understanding of this technology application,
and for social science professionals who seek to pursue a provocative
research topic.
