Attitudes of potential employers toward drug abuse

Administrators of engineering, fiscal, and personnel services were surveyed for attitudes toward drug abuse. Responses were highly correlated despite significant differences among groups in age, education, and personal acquaintance with drug abusers. They applied more stringent preemployment requirements to drug abusers than alcoholics, and consequences of these requirements in a troubled economic climate were considered. Attitudes of nontreatment administrators were correlated to a lesser degree with earlier responses by psychology administrators. Groups frequently endorsed the concept of special hospitals for abusers and seldom endorsed the use of jails and the court system unless distribution or related criminal activity was involved.