City Votes Drug Testing for All Job Applicants

All applicants for city jobs will be required to submit to drug tests as part of Pasadena’s new drug policy, which took effect Saturday. It was implemented after drug abuse problems surfaced in March in the Public Works Department.

The new policy gives the city unlimited authority to search desks, file cabinets and city vehicles used by employees. In addition, city employees must have a urine, breath or blood test when ordered to by a supervisor and are required to report fellow employees believed to be under the influence of drugs.

The policy applies only to job applicants; the other provisions affect about 400 non-union employees. The city’s 1,200 union employees will be asked to agree to the drug policy.