Drug, alcohol testing a hot topic
Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Dec 15/00) - People taking prescription drugs have nothing to worry about during oil-patch drug testing in the Beaufort Delta.
For those who use illegal substances or abuse alcohol, the tests may be an incentive to quit.
Drug and alcohol testing was an issue last week during the Beaufort Delta Interim Regional Council Leadership Conference. Job applicants hoping to work for firms involved oil and gas work are now undergoing testing.
One of the companies doing seismic operations in the region, Schlumberger, is performing a "quick test" on potential employees in various communities.
Rick Calvert, field operations manager with Schlumberger, said the company conducts similar tests at its operations world-wide.
If someone fails a quick test, the sample will be sent away for further analysis, results of which come back in an average of three days.
Calvert said someone can fail a test due to prescription drugs or other legitimate causes.
"You won't have somebody disqualified because they've taken a prescriptive drug or any legal substance," Calvert said.
In addition to testing potential employees, random tests will be conducted at the work sites.
Inuvialuit Regional Corp. chairperson Nellie Cournoyea said the tests are not being conducted to make peoples' lives difficult, but acknowledged it's a step that has to be taken.
"We do have drug problems in our community. It's getting worse," Cournoyea said.
She hoped the chance at getting jobs in oil and gas exploration would provide an incentive for people to stop abusing alcohol and drugs.
The issue of testing was also debated at Monday's committee of the whole meeting of Inuvik Town Council. Deputy mayor Arlene Hansen noted that those who fail these tests will not be allowed to try for jobs for a year, thus depriving themselves of a chance to make meaningful income.
Coun. Vince Sharpe agreed.
"It's getting to be more of an issue than selling a joint on the street," Sharpe said.
Hansen said the community has a serious drug problem, and yet not many busts seem to occur.
Cpl. Jeff Hurry, who delivered the monthly RCMP statistical report, replied that information is gathered every day on illegal drug activity.
"Drug investigations are very complex now."
