Past Drug Use and Becoming a Police Officer in the NYPD
It is common for people that are applying to become police officers to wonder if their past drug use will impact their application and chances of achieving their dream career. While experimenting with drugs is commonplace within most areas of society, police officers – especially those within the NYPD – are required to be relatively “clean.” While recent laws have been passed in the United States that led to the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana, many police departments, including the NYPD, have not become more lenient on prior drug use. However, there is some additional and important information to learn, which is detailed further below. Below, Robert. B Kronenberg, Esq., an experienced NYPD disqualification appeal lawyer, explores the topic in further detail.
Does Smoking Weed Disqualify You From Being a Police Officer in the NYPD?
Smoking marijuana is considered consuming a “soft” drug, so there may be some leeway during the application process. Leniency depends on other factors such as the frequency of use and how long ago it occurred. During the application process, candidates are most likely to undergo a series of interviews and background checks that explore their character, and this could touch on past drug use. If you have previously used marijuana in your life and consider your use to be purely light and experimental, you must disclose this early in the application process. If you try to cover any past experiences with marijuana you had, it may reflect poorly on your application and your character than if you were upfront about it. If you have been disqualified from the NYPD because of issues with your character, you will need to undergo an NYPD character disqualification appeal process under the direction of an experienced lawyer like Robert B. Kronenberg, Esq. Needless to say, once hired, the NYPD drug use policy bans officers from using illegal drugs like marijuana. Also, police officers are banned from selling, trading, or selling alcohol and other drugs.
Can You Smoke as a Police Officer in the NYPD?
As for smoking tobacco and cigarettes, NYPD police officers are not allowed to smoke cigarettes in public and in uniform. However, since tobacco is not illegal, they can partake in private as long as they are not in uniform. NYPD officers are encouraged to quit smoking as it could present a health hazard. If they are an applicant, smoking could interfere with their physical exam. If an applicant has underperformed in a physical examination, they are subject to a physical disqualification. If you have been disqualified based on a physical examination, you will need to undergo the NYPD medical disqualification appeal process.
More About NYPD Disqualifications Appeals
Aside from giving our readers useful guides on the intricacies of past drug use and becoming a police officer, we also provide superb legal services to our clients. The offices of Robert B. Kronenberg and Disqualification Appeals helps applicants for the NYPD and other New York departments fight their disqualification so they can get their careers on track. Contact us today to learn more about our medical disqualification appeals, psychological disqualification appeals, and character disqualification appeals.