State Employees May Face Random Drug Tests

Aug 20, 2008 by Eric Ray

(KCPW News) A plan being considered by Utah government officials would make state employees with access to the personal information of citizens subject to random drug testing. Chief Deputy Attorney General Kirk Torgensen says the plan should help curb instances of identity theft.

"There's no doubt in my mind that identity theft and those who abuse drugs, there's a direct link. Many of the cases where we see people going out and stealing identities for financial gain, it comes from fueling a substance abuse addiction," says Torgensen.

Torgensen says the state needs to do everything in its power to protect the confidentiality of people's personal information, such as Social Security numbers and bank accounts.

Jeff Herring, Executive Director of the Department of Human Resource Management says the policy will not only protect citizens from identity theft, but also keep drug users from attempting to gain state employment.

"Random drug testing, I think, will be a tool we can put in our arsenal to address some of these issues. Is it going to catch all of it, is it going to wipe out all of it? No. But it's a tool that we can use to establish some nexus between this, and not only be a proactive measure, but it's a prophylactic measure in addressing some of these issues as well," says Herring.

Later this year, a former employee of the Department of Workforce Services faces a trial for allegedly stealing identities. That employee also happened to be a drug user.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom and Legislative Coverage. Copyright 2009 KCPW