Drug testing public officials

Should it be required that anyone holding an elected or appointed public office be made to take (and pass ) a drug test?

Unless someone is operating machinery, or is going to be working with chemicals, that could be destructive/deadly if not handled with the utmost care or metal clarity; I don't think anyone should be required to take a drug test.

What a good topic. I can't decide what I think! I am leaning toward no, they shouldn't be subjected to any drug testing. That stems from me seeing people making messed up decisions while drunk from alcohol, so who is to say which is worse? If an elected official is going to be subjected to drug testing, should he also be required to be legally sober at all times while serving?

But, then again, years ago, my guy was at a party and was offered cocaine by a contractor who was doing major projects in the city, at a party in his (the contractor's0 home. Our mayor at that time had been at the party earlier in the evening. Granted that doesn't directly reflect on the mayor but this contractor was his go to guy during a time of some very large projects going on at that time. So, I always wondered if the mayor knew of or had partaken in any drug use with this contractor. After that night, I really never felt the same about the mayor. And maybe that is really judgemental of me, but if you lived here, you would know that this particular contractor was profiting largely for all the work for the city going through his business, and I feel like the mayor must have known.

And when the mayor was not re-elected, the contractor went to another state within a year, which was strange because he was a big deal here.

I told a close friend about this recently, (all of this happened around ten years ago, and I never told anyone, and only told her about it when we were talking about white collar drug users) and she told me I was being ridiculous by suspecting the mayor of anything...so I don't know.

Chris wrote:Unless someone is operating machinery, or is going to be working with chemicals, that could be destructive/deadly if not handled with the utmost care or metal clarity; I don't think anyone should be required to take a drug test.