# Hiring an ex-junkie, yea or ney? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 22, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476 "2012-10-22T01:43:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/41 "2012-10-22T16:44:54Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > This. I like it when I see someone with prison tattoos at work, it’s someone who’s been able to turn around after a serious fuckup. Someone has to be willing to give them the chance to do so. One of the people who works for my brother has a bunch of prison tattoos. My brother trusts him with the keys to his home and I’d trust him with my life. He did stupid things when he was 22, but the 50 year old man he is now learned his lesson and straightened his life out. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/42 "2012-10-22T16:47:40Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > ETA: **TriPolar** , why are you so certain we’re talking about heroin here? \*\*ZPG Zealot \*\*certainly hasn’t mentioned it. Actually, I have no idea. I though I read it in the OP. It isn’t there, and it takes the sails out of my testing argument. My only excuse is that I’m desperate for a nicotine fix right now. I haven’t accomplished victory over that addiction yet. ---
**Author:** ![pantheon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6bbea6/32.png) [@pantheon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantheon)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/43 "2012-10-22T19:48:48Z")
Keep in mind too that _if_ he is truly recovering, he’s clean of all drugs. Compare and contrast against the odds of typical uni kid smoking a doob out back on break or routinely coming in hungover… just something to consider. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/44 "2012-10-22T22:05:36Z")
Some of us ex-junkies have been known to be competent, hard-working and reliable. Just saying, is all. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/45 "2012-10-22T22:48:51Z")
I’d hire him. I’d be interested to know if he was just a high school kid who spent a few months hanging around the wrong crowd, got arrested, and went to the rehab center as part of a deal for a reduced or suspended sentance. Not saying a high school student can’t be a hard core junkie, but I’d say the above scenario is more likely, since the student didnt’ screw up his life so badly as to not get into college. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/46 "2012-10-23T00:39:51Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Actually, I have no idea. I though I read it in the OP. It isn’t there, and it takes the sails out of my testing argument. My only excuse is that I’m desperate for a nicotine fix right now. I haven’t accomplished victory over that addiction yet. He did not share the full details of his drug addiction. However judging from the private high school he graduated from, I would guess based on experience from hearing the worry/horror stories of women whose children attended that school, cocaine,.prescription medication, or both. I hired him. He was the most prepared candidate at his interview and the only one that offered me references to attest to that fact that he had at least a year’s experience actually working at a job. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/47 "2012-10-23T00:48:46Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’d hire him. I’d be interested to know if he was just a high school kid who spent a few months hanging around the wrong crowd, got arrested, and went to the rehab center as part of a deal for a reduced or suspended sentance. > > Not saying a high school student can’t be a hard core junkie, but I’d say the above scenario is more likely, since the student didnt’ screw up his life so badly as to not get into college. It’s a public university. They really have to be the absolute bottom of the barrel not to get admitted. How long they stay is a different matter. Still, I’m feeling kind of optimistic about this kid. He survived a year in fast food at an extremely busy location and managed to be described as a good worker. It’s not an Oscar, but it is a better qualifier than what any of the other applicants offerred. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/48 "2012-10-23T01:07:36Z")
So long as you don’t second him over to the Pharmacy labs you should be fine. I’m in the give him a chance camp. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/49 "2012-10-23T01:20:27Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > I have weeded out the real loser applicants (multiple misspellings on their application, etc.)…acomplishment…graducated…workiing You can forget about that job at Wesley Clark industries, I’m sorry to say. Its too bad too because much like Wayne Enterprises, I spend my days as a high powered CEO but spend the nights running around the city streets and alleyways in a skin tight latex outfit. I would hire the guy. If he has been through something tough and come through the other end good for him. It makes him more reliable than most people his age plus as you said he has a background of being reliable at his other job. Besides it is a low paying, part time librarian job. It isn’t like he has to turn the 2nd key to launch a nuclear weapon. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/50 "2012-10-23T01:28:06Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > I hired him. He was the most prepared candidate at his interview and the only one that offered me references to attest to that fact that he had at least a year’s experience actually working at a job. Good for you. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/51 "2012-10-23T03:16:59Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > That’s more of an accomplishment to be proud of then overcoming a voluntary addiction. One could gnaw off their own foot and call it an accomplishment, but if they aren’t trapped under a rock they’ve accomplished nothing worth considering as a qualification of employment. The ignorance you show on this subject is breathtaking. Overcoming addiction is extremely hard. The rates for success in addiction recovery are very, very low and there are a hell of a lot of addicts. Roughly 10% of the adult population in the U.S. are alkies or addicts. [Link](http://www.drugfree.org/newsroom/survey-ten-percent-of-american-adults-report-being-in-recovery-from-substance-abuse-or-addiction). Think about that for a sec. For every 10 people you know, one of them is probably an alkie or addict. Additionally, there are all kinds of addiction and all kinds of reasons people end up addicted. The image of a bum on the side of the road as the typical addict is not the reality. I personally know recovering addicts that are presidents of major corporations, one of the worlds most famous fashion designers (went to treatment with that person), a rather famous software developer, and a crap load of people that you would never guess had serious addition issues. On top of that, alcoholism and addiction appears to have a very strong genetic component. [Link](http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20040526/researchers-identify-alcoholism-gene).[Link 2](http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/genetics/). Addiction hits all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons. The old view as addicts/alcoholics as weak willed people who make bad choices is wrong and contradicted by the science. So, yes, overcoming an addiction is and accomplishment. ZPG Zealot, good choice. Slee Recovering alkie. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/52 "2012-10-23T04:07:31Z")
Choosing to not use addictive substances has worked for me. Too many alcoholics and druggies in my family, I’m too high-risk for addiction and I know it, so choose to avoid that risk. ---
**Author:** ![C6541](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90db22/32.png) [@C6541](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C6541)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/53 "2012-10-23T04:42:31Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > He did not share the full details of his drug addiction. However judging from the private high school he graduated from, I would guess based on experience from hearing the worry/horror stories of women whose children attended that school, cocaine,.prescription medication, or both. I hired him. He was the most prepared candidate at his interview and the only one that offered me references to attest to that fact that he had at least a year’s experience actually working at a job. I hope that it works out for both you and him, because getting employment (speaking as a junkie) is one of the single biggest things to help an ex-junkie stay sober. Not to mention how hard it is to get a job in the first place with a record. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476/54 "2012-10-23T11:47:15Z")
Good for you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiring-an-ex-junkie-yea-or-ney/638476.md?page=2)