"We were heartened by the Oglala Sioux Tribe's plan to perform hair follicle drug testing of all employees.

In January, the tribal council approved an ordinance that would require everyone who draws a paycheck from the OST to submit to a mandatory hair follicle test. Officials say hair follicle testing is a necessary part of their "zero tolerance" policy toward drug use by employees.

Zero tolerance is the only logical approach to the societal problem of illegal drug use, especially in a community and culture that has been so devastated by drug and alcohol abuse. The first step in dealing with illegal drug use in the workplace is recognizing that it may be a problem. We applaud reservation leaders for wanting to define, confront and address the problem head on.

Now, the only thing preventing the implementation of the new drug testing policy is money. OST officials had earmarked funds to pay for hair follicle testing, but spent that money instead on emergency costs related to recent winter storms that blocked roads and emptied propane tanks across the reservation. An amendment to the original ordinance gives the tribe until May 1 to find the funding to implement its new drug testing policy."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Find funding for drug tests (The Rapid City Journal 2/17)

Related Stories:
Oglala Sioux Tribe amends employee drug test plan (2/11)
Oglala Sioux Tribe plans drug testing of employees (2/5)