HAVING a bad hair day could be more than a beauty bungle and could even land nurses in the doghouse.

Nursing Standard (Feb 27) reports that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has introduced drug and alcohol tests on hair follicles in fitness-to-practise cases where substance dependency is thought to be involved.

By examining the hair shaft, the test can reveal excessive alcohol consumption and persistent use of drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and methamphetamine.

“Individuals will not be tested unless [he or she has] given [his or her] written consent,” says a spokesperson from the NMC. “It is often the nurse or midwife who volunteers to be tested as a way of disproving allegations against [him or her] or, in some instances, proving that [he or she does] not have a problem with drugs or alcohol.”

Nursing unions, which represent nurses at fitness-to-practise hearings, say they were not aware of the practice. Cheryll Adams, professional officer for research and development at the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association, says: “It is an emotive issue, and a great many nurses will have views about it.”

Meanwhile, substance misusers are told in Drink and Drugs News (Feb 25) to reject the stereotype put on them and take responsibility for their own lives.

“Service users as a group are unpopular with the public, compared [with] old ladies who need hip replacements or babies in incubators,” says Paul Hayes, chief executive of the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. “You are seen as the author of your own misfortune – there is no way we can hide from that.”

But, he adds: “Reject the victim label, but also the fantasy that if everyone would stop stigmatising you everything would be all right.”

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