The federal government approved saliva testing for its drug-and-alcohol testing programs last year.
By James Brooks, Alaska BeaconSen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks during a news conference on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
More Alaska employers may use saliva for drug and alcohol testing, thanks to a new bill that passed the Alaska Legislature on the final day of the regular session., which adds saliva testing to the state’s “safe harbor” laws for drug and alcohol testing by employers. Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, sponsored the bill after a request from the Alaska Power Association on behalf of local power companies.
“I think ultimately, it is a time- and money-saver for industry, and it also gets drug testing out of the way for employees in a way that’s less invasive,” he said. “I think that’s good. As long as people aren’t doing drugs or drinking when and where they shouldn’t be, they shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”
Alaska’s safe-harbor laws, which shield employers from legal claims related to drug and alcohol testing, don’t currently include saliva testing.that saliva testing is absent from Alaska’s safe-harbor laws because they were written before saliva testing became common.. The U.S. Department of Health and Social Services had been considering saliva testing since 2004 but didn’t deem the technology adequate until recently.
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